clothing and footwear: The Americas 243 Some sewn articles of clothing were generally worn open in front, in the manner of an unbuttoned coat They could take various forms: as armor for warriors or as fringed jackets for men A second type of sewn clothing was joined with seams and pulled over the head instead of worn open in front This second type was worn primarily by warriors (It is interesting to note that Spanish conquerors in both Mesoamerica and South America adopted the custom of wearing woven fabric armor in favor of their much heavier metal protection.) The Maya of the Yucatán peninsula in the late Postclassic period (ca 900–1517) incorporated many of these same principles in their clothing Many of the details are similar, such as feather decoration and the triangular hip cloth or quilted armor In addition—as with the Aztec—these articles of clothing were worn by humans and (representations of) deities alike One article of clothing that art historians have identified as uniquely Mayan is the kilt The kilt was worn ceremonially during the five days just before the New Year, which the Maya considered to be unlucky Kilts were usually woven or made of plant leaves Mayan women wore hip cloths or skirts cinched at the waists Over the skirts they wore slip-on garments, which covered the breasts and the back and were open at the arms Evidence suggests that the lowland Maya of this era did not seem to wear ornate ritual costumes It is important to remember that these findings (and any findings) are not definitive but rather reflect the extent to which archaeological research has been able to provide information Four-cornered hat; camelid fiber, Peru, ca 600–ca 850 (Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Costume Council and Museum Associates purchase, Photograph © 2006 Museum Associates/LACMA) South America before the Spanish conquest has an exceptionally rich history in textile production All clothes worn by inhabitants of modern-day Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina were constructed out of woven cloth In the Middle Horizon Period (ca 500–ca 1000) artisans from the Wari state (now Peru) made cloth with an astonishingly high number of threads per inch (The greater the thread count, the better the quality of the cloth.) Tunics made from this fabric were worn as ritual attire by elite citizens (as were mantles) and also were included in burials They were woven with brightly colored geometric designs or depictions of abstract animals and occasionally were decorated with feathers One particularly extraordinary tunic from around 1000 to 1500 is made of cloth with bright, tropical feathers sewn onto it, creating an entirely feathered surface The fact that this tunic has survived is a testament to the dry climate of this area, which can preserve delicate materials Other kinds of tunics and mantles as well as loincloths and head cloths were worn by society as a whole The elite also wore the unique square (four-cornered) hats These were boxlike, woven hats with a nub of woven material at each corner They were decorated with colorful images of animal-like creatures and were worn perched atop the head During Inca times (ca 15th and 16th centuries) textile production was at the heart of social control and economic exchange Clothing was the means by which an individual expressed his or her social status Because the empire was so geographically large, manner of dress was also a way of identifying local affiliation with a particular region Dress further could reflect particular situations, such as a warrior’s victory in battle (for which he would be rewarded with luxurious clothing) or a war prisoner’s humiliation (in which he would be required to wear a long red tunic indicating his defeat by the Inca) Tunics were the most common form of everyday dress and—like everything else in the Incan civilization—were strictly regulated by the government Measurements were standardized: 33.27 inches long and 30.71 inches wide In general, the tunic was decorated not with intricate imagery but rather with geometric pattern (However, it is important not to underestimate the symbolic significance of geometric design in Incan society.) All woven clothing was worn as a single piece: The Inca (as contrasted with the Spanish) did not sew together pieces of cloth to form a garment The mantle was also an important part of Incan clothing and, unlike the tunic, was frequently decorated with fantastical images of birds and beasts woven into the fabric These were very abstract or were mythical animals not found in life One side of the mantle was usually smooth and “finished,” while the other side was less so; the finished side would have