Question

What is the function of the All-T'oqapu tunic?

1) To identify social position of high-ranking males
2) To represent the spirit of the owner
3) To decorate the tunic with geometric designs
4) To hold the accomplishments or history of an individual

Answer 1

The All-T'oqapu tunic functioned as a status symbol to identify the social position of high-ranking males in Inka society through specific symbolic patterns known as topacu. The correct option is 1.

Step-by-step explanation:

The function of the All-T'oqapu tunic was primarily to identify the social position of high-ranking males within the Inka society. These tunics featured a pattern known as topacu, which consisted of small boxed symbols that served as distinctive markers to differentiate each group or unit.

The inclusion of these symbols on the garment was a way to maintain control over the population as each pattern conveyed a significant amount of information about the wearers, such as their ethnic identities and social ranks.

Even after the Spanish conquest, tunics continued to be created with indigenous symbols, sometimes fused with Spanish symbols during the colonial period.

Garments with such symbolic messages played an extensive role in expressing social hierarchy and prestige, and their complex production process ensured that they were significant artworks of the Inkan civilization. The correct option is 1.