"Andrew James Hamilton carries out a meticulous examination of the 500-year old imperial tunic, considered the most celebrated Andean artwork in the world, putting the case for its creation by two female artists on the eve of the devastating Spanish invasion."---Jacqueline Riding, The Art Newspaper "As thrilling as a murder mystery, a visual feast that kept me engaged till the last page. . . . Hamilton has provided an example of how thrilling art history and archaeological writing can be."---Bill Sillar, 21: Inquiries into Art, History, and the Visual "Hamilton brings an impressive grasp of material processes and an ability to evoke haptic sensibilities to the understanding of objects of material culture. . . . Hamiltons wide-ranging investigation of the tunics manufacture reads with the verve of a detective novel and leads to a series of plausible and intriguing histories. His astute perceptions and detailed observations generate rich inferences as to the how and whom of the garment." * Choice * "This extensive analysis of the textile, the methods, the time of making and the underlying meaning sets a new standard for understanding this relic of a lost empire."---Michael F. Rohde, HALI Magazine "Substantive. . . . [ The Royal Inca Tunic] is a testament to the potential lode of stories that can be found through material history. . . . . [ The book] can be perused quickly and enjoyed through the beautiful images or scoured in detail for the peculiar and fascinating stories. Readers should be warned, however, that a full digestion of the text will keep them percolating and mulling over historical pieces much longer and deeper than previously expected."---James G. Bland, First American Art Magazine "This engagingly written and beautifully illustrated book shows convincingly that the Royal Inca Tunic deserves pride of place in the global art canon.
"---Maya Stanfield-Mazzi, Journal of Anthropological Research "Inspiring. . . . well-researched . . . [ and] beautifully illustrated. . . . [ The Royal Inca Tunic] speaks to the importance of women artists who belonged to the highest strata of Inca society, the abuses of colonialism, and the tunics enduring power as an emblem of contemporary Andean identity.
"---Susan Elizabeth Ram“rez, Hispanic American Historical Review "Hamiltons discussions and visual renderings of Andean and Inca weaving techniques provide wonderful pedagogical tools; indeed, they should prove classroom classics. . . . In recent years, several generations of highly professional US textile curators and scholars have brought new insight into Andean fiber arts human ingenuity and cultural ambition. It is to our disciplines great benefit that this specialized knowledge be published in such a professionally visible, beautifully illustrated volume as this one."---Adam Herring, Art Bulletin
