Man’s Tunic (Uncu) (Túnica masculina [uncu])16th century

Not on view

Pre-Columbian textile with vertical teal and brick red stripes in the upper section, a horizontal band of cream geometric compartments at center, and a plain brick red lower field with narrow decorative strips

Woven textile tunic in red and teal vertical stripes with geometric patterning, divided by a horizontal band of gold interlocked and stepped motifs; warp-patterned technique with visible wear and fading.

Woven textile with vertical stripes in deep red, teal green, and tan, featuring repeated geometric motifs including small human figures, cross forms, zigzag borders, and interlocking S-shapes; a horizontal band of large square panels runs along the bottom edge; fabric shows areas of wear and fraying.

Woven textile fragment with vertical bands in deep red, teal, and tan, featuring rows of small human figures, cross motifs, geometric stepped patterns, and zigzag borders; frayed edges visible along right side.

Textile fragment with deep red ground, featuring a vertical woven band with stylized figures in teal, cream, and dark blue, bordered by a chain-like pattern; fringed and braided edges visible at bottom corners.

Woven textile fragment in deep red, gold, and teal, featuring a horizontal band of rectangular compartments filled with stepped triangles, scrolling S-shaped motifs, and zigzag borders; vertical side panels contain small standing figures and interlaced patterns.

Title: Man’s Tunic (Uncu) (Túnica masculina [uncu])
Place Made: Southern Andes
Date Made: 16th century
Medium: Camelid-fiber and cotton tapestry weave, with cross-looped embroidery and braided edging
Dimensions: 35 3/4 × 29 3/4 in. (90.81 × 75.57 cm)
Credit Line: Costume Council and Museum Associates Purchase
Accession Number: M.78.54.2
Classification: Costumes
Collecting Area: Costume and Textiles
Curatorial Notes: This masterfully woven man’s tunic (uncu) was made by weavers trained for the royal Inca workshops, possibly in the southern Andean highlands. Created in the period straddling the end of the Inca Empire (c. 1438–1533) and the arrival of the Spaniards in the first half of the sixteenth century, the tunic draws from a complex set of social, political, and artistic traditions. With its intricate decorations—including its central waistband with Inca-style tocapu motifs (originally a form of rank insignia)—the tunic would have signaled the high status of its wearer.

From exhibition Archive of the World, 2022 (for more information see the catalogue entry by Elena Phipps in the accompanying publication, cat. no. 30, pp. 163–66)
Provenance: John Wise (1902–1981), New York, before 1970; LACMA, 1978.
Selected Bibliography: Katzew, Ilona, ed. Archive of the World: Art and Imagination in Spanish America, 1500–1800: Highlights from LACMA’s Collection. Exh. Cat. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; New York: DelMonico Books/D.A.P., 2022.
Selected Exhibition History: Archive of the World: Art and Imagination in Spanish America, 1500–1800. October 20, 2023 - January 28, 2024
Archive of the World: Art and Imagination in Spanish America, 1500–1800. October 20, 2023 - January 28, 2024
Archive of the World: Art and Imagination in Spanish America, 1500–1800. June 12, 2022 - October 30, 2022
Archive of the World: Art and Imagination in Spanish America, 1500–1800. June 12, 2022 - October 30, 2022
Archive of the World: Art and Imagination in Spanish America, 1500–1800. June 22, 2024 - September 08, 2024
Archive of the World: Art and Imagination in Spanish America, 1500–1800. June 22, 2024 - September 08, 2024

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