Balance
- Period
- Late Horizon period, 1476–1534
- Date
- c.1400–1600
- Material
- Cotton, camelid fiber, and wood
- made in
- Peru, South America
- Classification
- Textiles, tools & equipment
- Current Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- height: 5 in. (12.7 cm)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Mrs. A. Lyndon Bell
- Rights
- Contact Us
- Object Number
- 325:1986
NOTES
The precise twisting and knotting of fine cotton thread, seen here, reflects the long tradition of fishing-net production on the coast of Peru. Although the textile appears delicate, the uniform hand-tied mesh was intended to withstand weight. Chincha-area merchants under the control of the Inka Empire may have used balances to carefully measure elite raw materials, such as precious metals or shells, during Inka-supervised trades. This type of tool is very rare since there were no currency-based economies in Peru prior to the Spanish conquest.