Unku

An unku (also spelled uncu) is the Inka man's tunic. The finest examples were tapestry-woven from camelid fiber as a single panel, with a slit for the head and the seams and edges covered afterwards in fine embroidery. Full-size examples in the Met's collection measure about 75 by 90 centimeters.

What was it used for?

Beyond warmth, a fine unku was a marker of identity and of the state's favor. The Met describes the checkerboard type as one of the primary markers of identity in the Inka Empire, and the Cleveland Museum of Art says fine tapestry garments were redistributed by the state as gifts to loyal vassals and allies.

Were all unku alike?

No. A small repertoire of designs was standardized across the empire: the Met counts about half a dozen, among them checkerboard, diamond-waist and tocapu-banded types. Local weavers kept their own traditions, and after 1532 colonial weavers added new motifs. Related: cumbi, the finest cloth.

Sources

1. Tunic, 1400–1535 (2017.674). The Metropolitan Museum of Art
2. Tunic, c. 1400–1540 (1957.136). The Cleveland Museum of Art
3. Tunic with Diamond Band (1982.365). The Metropolitan Museum of Art

See also

• Tocapu
• Cumbi

Read more

• Dressed for the Empire: What an Inka Tunic Said

Last updated October 14, 2026 · Markdown