It is a rare treat to see a textile that is more than a thousand years old. It is extraordinary to see examples of the quality and size as those gathered here. With over seventy highlights from the Whitworth and Paul Hughes's collections this book covers 1500 years of ancient Andean textiles. 

As well as celebrating breath-taking achievements in textile technique and design, this catalogue explores the complexities of their transition from local ritual to a wider international stage, vitally acknowledging the human origins of these objects from tombs and often bodies themselves.