Defense Date

1996

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Art History

First Advisor

James Farmer

Abstract

A tapestry from the Ica Valley of Peru (A.D. 900-1476), in the collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Virginia, is the subject of this study. This thesis is an attempt to demonstrate that the tapestry is an example of a textile form known as a "sampler." Woven as a learning tool and template by an apprentice and an expert weaver within the style and reflecting the iconography of Ica art.

A three-part approach is taken to examine the Ica tapestry. First, it is necessary to prove that the piece is a sampler, woven in an apprenticeship situation, and not several pieces of fabric sewn together. A memo from the Virginia Museum, and my own examination of the piece led me to conclude that it is indeed a sampler.

Different technical levels of skill allows me to confirm that more than one hand was responsible for this tapestry. A section by section examination of the tapestry confirms that the purpose of weaving it was indeed didactic.

The third aspect of this study combines the iconographic motifs on the tapestry with the technological style of the weaving in order to place it into a proper historical and temporal context.

Having traced the various aspects of this sampler, I conclude that samplers are a valuable contribution to the study of ancient Peruvian textiles. Much technical and iconographic information may be gleaned from tapestry samplers, which until now have been all but neglected.

Rights

© The Author

Is Part Of

VCU University Archives

Is Part Of

VCU Theses and Dissertations

Date of Submission

7-2-2026

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