Peru (Inca Empire, Cusco heartland)

High-Quality South Peruvian Unku Tunic Fragment from the Inca Period

2941

Date: Created during the Inca period (circa 15th to early 16th century CE). Period: Late Horizon Period (Inca Empire / Tawantinsuyu).

Elite Imperial Garment: Served as a male status tunic (unku) worn by Inca royalty, state administrators, and military commanders to signify rank, ethnic allegiance, and imperial office within Tawantinsuyu. Political and Cosmological Currency: High-grade textiles were considered more valuable than gold or silver in the Inca Empire, functioning as diplomatic gifts that bound conquered provinces to the imperial center in Cusco.