Aztec Featherwork

Timeline

1. c. 1591–1595Mexico City · Mexico CityIn the early 1590s, hereditary feather artisans still sorted feathers according to Aztec traditions and joined them with natural glue, shifting production from religious headdresses to church statue decoration and gifts for the Spanish colonial elite.
2. c. 1593–1598Veracruz · VeracruzIn the 1590s, feather mosaic shields and tapestries were shipped across the Atlantic to the Spanish court and church as "Indian curiosities"; strong European interest in Mesoamerican featherwork drove workshops to expand production.
3. c. 1596–1600Mexico City · Mexico CityBy the turn of the century, featherwork was used for cathedral tabernacles, bishops' ceremonial robes, and festival procession props, combining Aztec collage techniques with European religious imagery to form New Spain's distinctive hybrid visual tradition.