vicuña

World History

(noun)

A wild South American camelid that lives in the high alpine areas of the Andes. It is a relative of the llama, and is now believed to be the wild ancestor of domesticated alpacas, which are raised for their coats.

Related Terms

Art History

(noun)

A relative of the llama that lives in the high alpine areas of the Andes.

Related Terms

Examples of vicuña in the following topics:

  • Textiles of the Inca

    • Garments were made of the wool of four animals: the guanaco, llama, alpaca, and vicuña.
    • Qunpi, a finer cloth, was divided into two classes: it would either be made of alpaca wool and collected as tribute for use by royalty, or it would be woven from vicuña wool and used for royal and religious purposes.

  • Moche

    • The Moche also wove textiles - mostly from wool from vicuña and alpaca.

  • The Inca People

    • On the other hand, a fine-spun, very soft cloth made from vicuña wool could only be used in religious ceremonies.

  • The Moche

    • The Moche also wove textiles, mostly using wool from vicuñas and alpacas.