ANCIENT MEXICAN FEATHER WORK AT THE COLUMBIAN 

 HISTORICAL EXPOSITION AT MADRID. 



By ZELIA NUTTALL, Delegate of the Peabody Museum of American Archaeology and Ethnology, Cambridge, 



Mass., U. S. A. 



Since my interest in ancient Mexican feather work was stimulated, 

 some years ago, by the quaintly illustrated Laurentian manuscript of 

 Sahagun s Historia, I have made efforts lo ascertain how many repre 

 sentative specimens of this peculiar indigenous art are in existence at 

 the present day. 



Jn l.sOO I submiited to the members of the International Congress 

 of Americanists, assi-mbled in Paris, a description and colored photo 

 graphs of a beautiful specimen of native feather work that I had dis 

 covered in Florence, and expressed at the same time the hope to learn 

 of similar relics elsewhere. Although my hope was not realized before 

 the opening of the exhibition at Madrid, 1 fully expected that this 

 would draw forth from obscurity some fine samples of the curious art. 

 My expectations, on the whole, were not lealized, and I was obliged to 

 assume that, as such relics were not forthcoming on this momentous 

 occasion, they probably did not exist. As the majority of specimens 

 known were, however, assembled in the exhibition, in the original, or 

 in counterpart, I was afforded at all events an unprecedented oppor 

 tunity for making a review of the remnants that have thus far ( scaped 

 destruction. 



The present report, wbich I have amplified by references to all relics 

 of the kind that have come under my notice during my researches in 

 European museums, aims at being a complete inventory of all speci 

 mens of ancient Mexican feather work, dating from the sixteenth and 

 seventeenth centuries, known to be in existence at the present day. 

 As such it may not only prove useful for future reference, but also 

 stimulate an interest which may lead to the discovery of farther speci 

 mens. 



The only original pieces of Mexican feather work, dating from about 

 the time of the Conquest, contained in the whole exhibition, were the 

 two shields belonging to the Royal Museum at Stuttgart. These were 

 displayed in the section of the Imperial German Government, and 

 their presence deserves appreciative recognition. 



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