Mantle (Peruvian, Paracas, 0–A.D. 100)

Wool plain weave, embroidered with wool in stem-stitch. William Alfred Paine Fund (31.501). Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

This magnificent mantle dated 0–A.D. 100, exquisitely embroidered throughout with animated shaman figures, is now on loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art where it takes its place among the Incas, the Aztecs, and their predecessors in a contextual exhibition of Pre-Columbian arts. Golden Kingdoms: Luxury & Legacy in the Ancient Americas is on view February 28-May 28, 2018. This is a rare opportunity to view one of the finest textiles of Paracas culture from the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Click for description, detail view and collection data on mfa.org


Objects in Brief is a randomized showcase of the MFA, Boston’s encyclopedic Textile and Fashion Arts collections. A featured object is indicative of the author’s curiosity and chosen so she may learn about its material and structural properties, function, history, and greater story. These “quick studies” have led to more in-depth explorations posted in A Closer Look.