QU012/KH0600

Original Name: QU12
Original Author: Kylie Quave
Museum: Dallas Museum of Art
Museum Number: B391/1983.W.2170
Provenance: Inka, Late Horizon
Region: Unknown
Total Number of Cords: 281
Number of Ascher Cord Colors: 13
Similar Khipu:  Previous (UR1084)  Next (QU021)
Catalog: QU012
Khipu Notes: Khipu Notes

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Khipu Notes

Fragmentary khipu with subsidiary main, top, subsidiary, and tertiary cords
Khipu fragment. One plied end and one severed.
Includes 1 scrap package of 1 fragment
Constructed of various materials. All material identifications were done by sight alone.
When material is specified as "plant," it means non-cotton and perhaps a leaf or stalk fiber.
Khipu is sewn down to mount board on all pendants and they are overlapping each other. Some cord relationships were unclear as a result.

Cord Notes


Cords are made of various fibers, indicated in notes (V=plant/vegetal, CN=cotton, CL=camelid)
All pendants attached in the "verso" except group A-1 (on main subsidiary) and P8.
A-1 section(very first group, which is attached to main subsidiary) is a group of blank cords.
The decimal placements vary from group to group, but not greatly.
Very long main subsidiary -- probably used as a wraparound cord, but also holds the blank pendants and is tied awkwardly to the main cord.
Originally had more main cord and likely more pendants -- end is severed.
The blue fibers (camelid) are very dark, almost black -- used indigo?
Whenever the unidentified plant fiber (leak or stalk) is used in a khipu, it is all the same color.
The browns and tans are sometimes difficult to distinguish. Here, "dark tan" is a lot like "light brown." Need to set a uniform color palette.
The blues in this khipu are very dark -- not green-tinted like most DMA examples.
The "white" in this khipu is actually slightly off-white, but too light to be labeled "light tan."
Looped top cords around pendant groups. -- Groups 1, 2, 5, and 7.
All these have sum of pendant knots on the top cord, minus the value of the last cord in the group (even Grp 1, which doesn't have any knots).
On Grps 2 and 5, the last cord is the only cotton pendant in the group.
Only one top cord is placed above khipu -- other two are left with the pendants in this mounted arrangement.
Main cord is S-plied chocolate brown and dark tan with one ch br for every two dk tn strands. Measures about 14 inches, 35.5 cm.
Its plied end on the left is knotted around a cord identical to itself, but longer (72 in, 183 cm). Total of main cords: 86 / 218.5.
This main subsidiary is knotted around with what could have once been a plied end, but now just looks like 3 unraveled strands. It has a knot on its other end.