Fragment, Peru, 1000/1476. Bird-headed anthropomorphic figure holding a ceremonial knife (tumi), performing human sacrifice. The amphibian-butterflies may allude to metamorphosis or hallucinogens involved in the sacrificial ritual. The borders depict trophy heads or bound captives.

---

Size: 2357px × 3000px
Photo credit: © Heritage Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, america, american, art, arts, aubusson, camelid, centre, century, chicago, color, colour, concept, continent, cotton, country, death, decoration, decorative, design, dovetailed, eccentric, eleventh, embroidered, embroidery, fabric, fifteenth, fourteenth, gallery, gruesome, guy, head, heads, heritage, human, institute, joined, killing, laced, lambayeque, location, male, man, men, object, outlining, panel, panels, pattern, patterned, people, peru, peruvian, pre-colombian, pre-columbian, precolombian, precolumbian, running, sacrifice, sacrificial, sacrificing, severed, single, slit, south, stitches, tapestries, tapestry, textile, textiles, thirteenth, twelfth, unknown, weave, weaving, wefts, wool, woven, wrapping