Page 600 - Art In The Age Of Exploration (Great Section on Chinese Art Ming Dynasty)
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            MANTLE

            before  1470
            Chimu
            painted cotton
            180 x  191 (70% x  75Vsj
            American Museum  of Natural History,  New  York

            On this mantle  stylized  felines alternate with a
            geometric variant  of the  step-fret motif that is
            common in art throughout  the Andes.  Each
            repeat of the  two motifs is varied.  Sometimes  an
            apparent crescent moon is included in a corner of
            the  square;  some cats are clawed, some are not.
            The design presents a dynamic alternation of
            curving  shapes with angular  ones.
              Felines are generally prominent  subjects in pre-
            Columbian art and myth. The puma  (mountain
            lion) was common  in the Andes and the jaguar
            inhabited the Amazon  Basin beyond.  The spots on
            the  feline on this textile from  the  central coast of
            Peru indicate that a jaguar inspired the  motif.
              The cloth is plain weave with  paired warps;
            overcasting stitches join three  loom products.  E. p. B.
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