COLUMBIAN HISTORICAL EXPOSITION AT MADRID. 335 



that the miter was either enameled or on copper, painted on velvet or 

 silk, but an indescribably beautiful and novel effect is produced by the 

 employment of a background entirely composed of the wing feathers 

 with metallic luster that grow on the heads and breasts of tropical hum 

 ming birds. When I first saw the precious relic and made inquiries 

 about its age and origin I was informed by the custodian in charge that 

 it dated from the seventeenth century and had belonged to a cardinal 

 or pope of the Medici family. 1 



No documentary evidence seems, however, to be obtainable. The 

 indication given leads, however, to the conclusion that the miter 

 belonged to the Cardinal \lessandro do Medici, a native of Florence, 

 who died in 1605, a few weeks after his consecration as Pope Leo XI. 



The relic is thus assigned to the same period as the Madrid shield, 

 and the comparison between the workmanship of each seems to indi 

 cate that they were both made by the same hand. 



A second miter, apparently of the same style of design and execu 

 tion, is preserved at the Kunsthistorisches Hofinuseum at Vienna. I 

 recently learned of its existence by a mere chance, and I believe that 

 this is not generally known. 



In his article cited above, Hochstetter mentions that he first found 

 the ancient Mexican feather piece, which he identified as a standard, 

 &quot;next to a bishop s miter&quot; in a museum case. 



Beyond this bare mention I know of no publication in which the miter 

 figures. Not having visited Vienna since I learned of its preservation 

 there, I am indebted to the kindness of a scientific friend for the fol 

 lowing data concerning it. The relic is displayed in Case IV, hall 23, 

 is entered as No. 48, in the official general catalogue, wherein it was 

 described as follows : 



Miter, of Hispano-Mexicau workmanship, covered with a mosaic composed of 

 humming-bird feathers. On the obverse the genealogical tree of Christ is repre 

 sented. The reverse displays a rosebush with the apostles and a crucifix issuing 

 forth from its flowers. 



In the special catalogue of the same year, 1891, the following valua 

 ble detail is added: 



The word Buenagia, meaning Good Road and being the motto of the Spanish 

 D Avila family, occurs in each of the pendants above the embroidered arms of a car 

 dinal. With the exception of these arms that are embroidered in silks, the entire 

 miter is of feather mosaic. 



In the above catalogues no date is assigned to the miter, but it 

 seemingly belongs to the Arubras collection and consequently ante 

 dates 1595. 



It seems as though, after having been made in Mexico, the miter was 

 only assigned to an owner when it reached Europe, for the embroidered 

 arms could not have formed part of the original design, and must .have 



Nuttoll, Ouvrages en plumes du Mexique. Rapport du Congres des 

 Ame rieanistes, Paris. 1890, p. 400. 



