Inca Textile Fragment

Pre-Columbian Era, Inca Empire, c. 1438–1533 AD, Andes Region, South America

A beautifully framed textile fragment composed of tightly woven cotton and alpaca wool, featuring delicate stripes in hues of coffee and cream. This fragment likely belonged to an Inca man’s tunic (uncu), showcasing the intricate weaving techniques and artistic design of the Inca Empire.

Textile production was central to the Inca economy, with different types of fabrics denoting social status. The finest materials, such as this textile, were used exclusively by royalty and nobility, symbolizing prestige and wealth. The Inca favored geometric patterns, often repeating tocapus (symbols), and this fragment displays the artistry and craftsmanship that made Inca textiles legendary.

A remarkable relic of Inca culture, this piece offers a rare glimpse into the textile heritage of one of the most advanced civilizations of the pre-Columbian Americas. It is a must-have for collectors of ancient textiles and Inca artifacts.

Excellent condition. Fragment of larger piece. Surface wear commensurate with age, loose threads, fraying and losses to fibers. Mounted in modern metal and glass frame with passepartout. Size approx. 27,5cm x 27,0cm (excluding the frame).

Former collection of the archaeologist Ferdinand Anton, Germany, combined between 1950 and 1965. Ferdinand Anton was born in 1929 in Munich, Germany. He made a living by writing richly illustrated books about the art objects and religious rituals of Pre-Columbian cultures: the Aztecs, the Maya, and Andean peoples of South America. He was an explorer who flew to South America and Mexico, and hiked to remote shrines where few Westerners had set foot. He wrote more than forty books.