Chimu Woven Textile Panel with Cats

This authentic Pre-Columbian textile panel was woven on Peru's north or central coast during the Late Intermediate Period, ca. 1100–1450 CE, attributable to the Chimú culture. The composition is organized into horizontal registers separated by undulating zigzag bands, populated entirely with stylized felines; large seated cats with fanged grins, curled scroll tails, and splayed paws, alternating with rows of compact frontal feline heads and smaller profile cats marching along the patterned selvage border.

The feline was among the most potent supernatural beings of ancient Andean cosmology, associated with shamanic power, fertility, and ancestral protection. Woven from hand-spun cotton in a tight plain weave with a complementary-warp patterning technique, the panel preserves a remarkable corded, looped horizontal seam at center where two loom-widths were joined — a hallmark of Chimú construction.
 

Natural undyed cotton, deep brown and tan palette characteristic of Chimú weaving with original corded seam joining two loom panels

Dimensions:  19 in. L. x 11½ in. L. x 9 in. W. overall.

Condition:  Some tears, losses, and fraying along the edges, consistent with age and burial context; unmounted and ready for custom framing or textile mounting. Colors remain strong with excellent contrast between ground and figural elements.

Provenance:
Ex private American C.L. collection. Legally acquired and offered in compliance with U.S. cultural property regulations.

 A nice ancient Andean textile panel, finely woven in natural cotton tones of warm tan and deep chocolate brown, depicting rows of stylized grinning felines with scrolled tails — a powerful symbol of supernatural authority on Peru's coast more than 700 years ago. 
Pre-Columbian feline textiles of this scale and graphic clarity are increasingly scarce on the market and form the cornerstone of any serious ancient Andean textile collection