Quipu, a knotted string instrument for recording information
Maker: Possibly Inca culture
Medium:Camelid fibre
Geography: Peru
Date: 1430-1532
Object number: 934.19.8
DescriptionQuipu are collections of knotted strings hung from horizontal cords that were used to record information in the ancient Andes. They were clearly used to record numeric values, and some scholars argue that the strings also encoded an as yet un-deciphered language. While the earliest quipu dates to about 3000 BC, the example displayed here is likely one used by the Incas at the beginning of the 16th century AD.
