Feathered Tunic: Ancient Chimú Textile | Style Imitating Art

Next up for Style Imitating Art…

About Style Imitating Art

Style Imitating Art is hosted by Salazar of 14 Shades of Grey, Terri of Meadow Tree Style, and Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge. Style Imitating Art challenges us to draw style inspiration from pieces of art. Every other Monday, one of the hosts, acting as presenter, selects an inspiration image that they will each post on their blogs. The following Monday, each host shares her art inspired outfit. Participants are invited to submit their art inspired outfits to the presenter by 10:00 p.m. EST on the Tuesday following the hosts’ art inspired outfit posts. The following day, Wednesday, the presenter will share all of the submissions on her blog.

You don’t have to be a blogger to join either! In fact, you don’t even have to join but you can still use the art to inspire an outfit just for the sake of trying something different. If you want to share your inspired outfit, we invite you do so on Instagram or any other social media platform that you prefer. Just be sure to tag Salazar, Terri, and Shelbee or use #TeamLOTSStyle and #StyleImitatingArt so the hosts know you have joined. Go have some fun in your closets and join the SIA challenge next week!

This Week’s Presenter

Terri is only participating as a co-host of Style Imitating Art until the end of the year so she has just two more art picks, this being her second to last. She is taking a different approach for her last two rounds and moving away from artworks that are exhibited at her favorite art museum, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri. Instead, she has chosen an amazing work from a public domain library offered by The Art Institute of Chicago. 

The Artwork

Feathered Tunic

The Art Institute of Chicago describes this ancient feathered tunic as such…

“One of the most extraordinary works in the Art Institute’s archaeological textile collection, this feathered tunic was created by Chimú weavers in northern Peru in 1470/1532. The knee-length, sleeveless garment is composed of a plain-weave cotton cloth completely concealed by thousands of brightly colored feathers. These coveted plumes were taken from macaws, parrots, toucans, cotingas, and tanagers from the tropical forests of South America. Because they were transported across the treacherous peaks of the Andes, the feathers were extremely rare and valuable and would only have been available to the most elite members of pre-Hispanic society. Thus, the feathered tunic—with its stylized felines, birds, and fish—would have been a sumptuous emblem of power, wealth, and prestige. Like many other pre-Hispanic textiles, it was buried with its owner in a subterranean tomb on the southern coast of Peru. The dark and arid conditions in these tombs protected the tunic, thereby allowing its vibrant colors and bold motifs to endure.”

The Art Institute of Chicago

This is a really interesting and awe-inspiring work of textile art. I cannot get over how the colors have remained so vibrant and the feathers so seemingly plush and soft after five centuries. Five centuries, y’all. I don’t think we make textiles these days that can survive 500 years in such stellar condition. We do, however, make textiles that can survive for probably millennia in a landfill. And this is why I have been creating some really gorgeous rag curtains and other home decor items using old clothes that would end up in a landfill otherwise. I will share my newest creations this week so stay tuned!

If you want to join us with this creative styling challenge and be featured in Terri’s review post on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, be sure to submit your photos to her at meadowtreestyle@gmail.com by 10:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, November 7, 2023. 

Happy Styling! 

Keeping it on the edge, 

Shelbee

Joining these Fabulous Link Parties.