Chakana Condor Bird Alpaca Blend Tapestry from Peru, "Apu Kuntur"

Symbolizing the stairway to the heavens, the chakana cross is a geometric symbol that evokes the Andean cosmovision. Peruvian artist David Laura Zanabria creates this stunningly mystical tapestry, which depicts a condor bird with the body of a chakana that soars beneath the rays of the sun. Zanabria works on a traditional loom to hand-weave this tapestry from an alpaca blend. This piece is named Apu Kuntur in Quechua. Apu means "God" or mountain, and also refers to the Apu mountain spirits. Kuntur is the Quechua word for "condor."