Hat

Ceramic and stone sculptures of men from neighboring Wari and Tiwanaku societies illustrate that four-cornered hats such as this one appear to be linked with warriors and other individuals of high status. The texture of the pile surface may represent animal fur or the plumage of birds like those depicted on this hat. Abstracted animal, bird, and plant images on hats like this one are associated with the Wari and Tiwanaku religions and may have served to protect the wearer or imbue him with the desirable attributes of the plants and animals represented.