Circulation of Feathers in Mesoamerica

Abstract

Feathers, especially those from colorful tropical birds, were among the most highly prized materials in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Likewise the craft of featherworking was among the most esteemed in the Mesoamerican world. Feathers were fashioned into exquisite adornments for nobles and gods, worked into fancy textiles for the elite, and provided embellishment for the shields and military costumes of highly achieved warriors. This presentation focuses on the manner in which feathers traveled from hand to hand in the complex process of acquisition, manufacture, and finally consumption during the last century before the Spanish conquest. Emphasis is on the circulation of feathers through well-established channels of tribute, marketplace exchange, “foreign” trade, and elite reciprocity.

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