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Aztec Feather Mosaic Craft
An Aztec mosaic craft using beeswax as a base to glue tropical bird feathers piece by piece onto wooden or paper forms, for priestly cloaks, shields,…
Timeline
- c. 1450–1521Tenochtitlan · Mexico CitySpecialized amanteca craftsmen collected feathers such as quetzal according to rank regulations, making priestly cloaks and military regalia, embodying the empire's monopoly over tropical resources and ritual aesthetics.
- c. 1542–1550Mexico City · Mexico CityIn the 1540s, local craftsmen continued feather mosaic work under colonial commissions; works circulated via the Acapulco–Manila route and European collecting networks, regarded as exotic curios and missionary display objects.
Sources
- The Aztec Feather Shield in Vienna: Problems of Conservation and Interpretation — Elena E. Phipps (2004)
- The Gift of the Feather: Aztec Featherwork and Colonial Exchange — Elena E. Phipps (2012)