Archivo:Tunic (Cushma) (detail), Wari culture.jpg

English: Tunic (Cushma) (detail), Wari culture, Southern Andes, alpaca wool, c800 AD, 2.51 x 1.55 m. Paul Hughes Collection. A special exhibition of ancient Andean textiles will be on show at The Whitworth Museum (UK) from 29 March-15 September 2019. 'Ancient Textiles from the Andes’ presents a rare opportunity to see a large number of outstanding Andean textiles in the UK. Through a major loan from the collector Paul Hughes, alongside pieces from The Whitworth, textiles from circa 300 BC to circa 1400 AD will be on display. As well as celebrating achievements in textile technique and design, this show 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 from bodies themselves) they are part of a programme of debate about ethics, how objects are contextualised and the impact of conservation on how we understand them.