Textile Fragments , c. 50-650. These fragments are rare survivors of catastrophic rains that destroyed much of the Moche textile legacy and may have helped to bring about the decline of Moche culture. Each depicts a serpent and a snail beneath a hovering raptorial bird—perhaps a snail kite, a type of hawk named after its favored food. The size of the motifs implies that the original textile was large; a mantle (a shawl-like garment) or a hanging are among the possibilities.

---

Size: 5039px × 7488px
Photo credit: © Heritage Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 1st-7th, art, camelid, century, cleveland, coast, cotton, fiber, heritage, moche, museum, north, peru, textile, unknown