Featherwork
Featherwork is the working of
Aztecs
.
ʻiʻiwi
managed to survive despite its popularity.
Conquest of the Aztec Empire, originally organized by the Spanish missionaries into a luxury export trade, sending objects back to Europe. Immediately after the conquest existing objects such as Montezuma's headdress, now in Vienna
, were admired in the courts of Europe.
Although featherwork is primarily used for clothing, headdresses, ceremonial
Pomo peoples of California are famous for the minute featherwork of their grass baskets, many of which are on display at the National Museum of the American Indian
in Washington.
The Maori of New Zealand used featherwork to construct cloaks for clothing and to decorate kete (bags) and weapons.
The
Cherokee people
of Southeastern Northern America used swan or turkey feathers to make capes.
See also
- Coyotlinahual, Aztec patron god of featherworkers
- The Feather Book of Dionisio Minaggio, a 17th-century Italian book of images made entirely from bird feathers