The AXSU of Atahualpa's Wife

Elena Phipps and Olga Acosta Luna. Hali Magazine Issue 167 Spring 2011 p. 184 OBJECT IN FOCUS: The Axsu or Wrapped Dress of Atahualpa’s wife Olga Isabel Acosta Luna, Asistente de la Curaduría de Arte e Historia, Museo Nacional de Colombia and Elena Phipps, Independent Scholar An extraordinary Inca textile has recently been the subject of scholarly discussion. Given as a gift in 1825, this piece, ide tified as the Ma tle of Atahualpa, the last of the Inca kings, who died at the hands of the Spanish soldiers in Cajamarca, Peru in 1533. It was donated to the National Museum of Bogota, Colombia in 1825 by Marshall Antonio Jose de Sucre1 (1795-1830). Marshall Sucre was an important donor to the National Museum, 2 and a leader in the revolution for Latin American independence from Spain, in the 19th century, under Simon Bolivar. As Commander-in-Chief of the United Liberation Army during the Battle of Ayacucho, he lead one of the last great battles for Independence. This battle took place December 9, 1824 in Peru, and its outcome was the dissolution of the Viceroyalty of Peru, the last standing Viceroyalty at the time. Although it is not know how Marshall Sucre came to possess the garment associated with the illustrious Inca king, the textile has been catalogued in the museum as Atahualpa’s a tle si e the 19th century. However, recent examination of the letter attached to his donation posted from the General Headquarters in La Paz, Bolivia, indicates that Marshall Sucre referred to the pie e as the a tle or acso elo gi g to Atahualpa’s wife .3 This makes much more sense—as the garment is clearly one of an Inca coya or queen. Very few examples of this quality and size have been preserved, with the exception of one found in the temple compound of Pachacamac, the ancient oracle site and Inca Temple of the Sun, of the South coast of Peru Museo Nacional Colombia (MNC), Letter from Antonio José de Sucre annexed to Atahualpa’s mantle and directed to the head of the National Museum, Jerónimo Torres, 12.9.1825, No. Reg.: 1093. 1 A osta Lu a, Olga Isa el, El redentor de los hijos del sol. Evocación de la imagen del Inca Atahualpa durante la Independencia”, in Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín: 2010, to be published. 2 3 Papel Periódico Ilustrado. Bellas Artes, Literatura, biografías, ciencias, cuadros de costumbres, historia 1886 – 1888 (Illustrated Newspaper, Fine Arts, Literature, Biographies, Sciences, Painting Depicting Customs of the Day, History 1886-1888), No. 107, Year V, p.175. .4 The garment appears to be in pristine condition, woven in the highly refined weft-patterned weaving, of a quality referred to as cumbi by Inca weavers. The dress is composed of the lengths of woven cloth, and would have been worn folded in half, and wrapped around the body, pinned with large silver pins, called tupus. We know of the manner of wearing the dress from miniature dressed figurines that have been offered in high altitude rituals, preserved in snow-capped mountains of Southern Andes. The exceptional size of this garment—168 x 240 cm-- its beautiful colors, strictly controlled pattern indicate it was truly a garment of a noble queen. 4 See E. Phipps, Catalogue entry number 3, in E. Phipps, J. Hecht and C. Esteras, Colonial Andes: Tapestries and Silverwork 1530-1830, MMA and Yale Univ Press, 2004, pp 130-132.