Andean tapestries are impressive for bold design, brilliant color, and exquisite craftsmanship. This immediate impression belies a vast body of information below the surface, data that might suggest material selection, production techniques, regional trade, cultural borrowing, innovation, workshops, artist's hand, and ultimately provenance. These data are important because most of the world's collections of Andean textiles contain minimal documentation of original source. But art historians regularly eschew these technical aspects for theoretical discussions or surface evaluations concerning color patterning, design relationships, and iconographic programs.
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