Tassel
500/900
Wool (camelid), oblique interlinked and interlaced warp (sprang); cross-knit looping over folded unworked warps; sides joined with wool (camelid) in overcast stitch
36.8 × 24.1 cm (14.5 × 9.5 in)
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Not currently on view
In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026
Discussion
FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG
Woven tassels were worn in pairs, attached to a long cord that wrapped around a person’s head, with one tassel falling to each side. Several dozen of these large and elaborately patterned tassels are known, all with the same shape and structure. The tassels were made via a complex technique that produced multiple interconnected layers and mirror-image symmetry. The complexity of Nazca textiles like these far exceeds functional or representational requirements, suggesting that there is symbolic meaning embedded in the structure itself.
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