Four-Cornered Hat

Four-Cornered Hat

400–1000 CE
Culture
Tiwanaku | Tiahuanaco
Country
Bolivia, Uncertain, Chile, Uncertain, Peru
Object
hat
Medium
Knotted camelid fiber
Accession Number
2004.60
Credit Line
Neusteter Textile Collection: Funds from New World and Textile Art department acquisition funds and Alianza de las Artes Americanas

Unknown Tiwanaku artist, Bolivia; Chile; or Peru. Four-Cornered Hat, 400–1000 CE. Knotted camelid fiber, 5 x 5 ¼ x 5 inches. Neusteter Textile Collection at the Denver Art Museum: Funds from New World and Textile Art departments and Alianza de las Artes Americanas, 2004.60.

Dimensions
height: 5 in, 12.7000 cm; width: 5 1/4 in, 13.3350 cm; depth: 5 in, 12.7000 cm
Department
Avenir Institute of Textile Arts and Fashion
Collection
Textile Arts and Fashion-Ancient and Latin American Art
Multicolored four-cornered hats made of knotted alpaca yarn are emblematic of the Tiwanaku civilization, which thrived in South America from about 200 to 1000. While the capital was located in highland Bolivia, near Lake Titicaca, Tiwanaku's cultural, political, and economic influence extended into Peru, Chile, and northern Argentina.
Known Provenance
Purchased May 2004 from David Bernstein Fine Art [New York, NY] by the Denver Art Museum
Exhibition History
  • "Tiwanaku: Ancestors of the Inca," Oct. 16, 2004 - Jan. 23, 2005 (DAM)
  • "Cover Story," May 17, 2013 - April 27, 2014 (DAM)