58 D.J. Macgowan on Chinese and Aztec Plumagery. 
Whether plumagery or the art of working in feathers, which 
was formerly practised in this part of the world, and also by the 
Aztecs of Central America, originated with Asiatics, or Ameri 
cans, or with both, must be left to conjecture: in any view of 
the case, the fact is invested with interest. Attention was attrac- 
ted to this subject by perusing the chapter devoted to an inquiry 
into Aztec civilization in Prescott’s History of the Conquest of, 
Mexico, where the distinguished historian shows that the ancient 
Mexicans excelled in the arts of plumagery and jewelry, in both 
of which they appear to have followed the same methods that are 
adopted by the Chinese. 
Confucius informs us that in remote antiquity, ere the art of 
weaving silk or hemp was understood, mankind were clothed 
with the skins of beasts and feathers. How the latter were held — 
together is not stated, but it must have been in a rude manner by 
cords or thread: at a later period feathers were in general demand 
as ornaments to banners and articles of attire; and subsequently 
for the manufacture of door-screens and caps. ‘Tradition states 
that garments made of feathers and resembling fur dresses were 
presented to the emperor Shauhau, who reigned twenty-five 
centuries before our era. The earliest allusion to robes awoven 
ith feathers, occurs in the history of the T'sin dynasty. In the 
year 272 A. D., Dr. Ching, the court physican, presented the em= 
peror with a gown made of feathers from the golden-headed 
pheasant. His Majesty being the founder of a new dynasty; 
was anxious to induce economical habits among his subjects; he 
therefore immediately ordered the splendid garment to be pnblicly 
burnt before the palace door, and issued on the following day 
stringent prohibitions against the presentation of articles of luxuty- 
e emperor Wuti, who flourished in the latter part of the 
fifth century, had a son who was notorious for his extravagance, 
having among other costly articles, a robe woven with peacocks’ 
feathers. History further informs us that it was the custom of 
emperors to make presents every eleventh month of robes made 
out of the feathers of the variegated king-fisher to certain minis- 
ters of state. 'Taitsung, A. D. 976, changed the custom so far as 
to substitute silk for plamagery. Again, at a later period, the 1m- 
perial records relate that the princess Ganluh engaged a skillful 
artificer to collect feathers of every description, to make of them 
two dresses, which should when looked at in front present one — 
color, when viewed sideways another, and when held up to the ~ 
light a third. When completed, she presented them to the em — 
press, and they were so much admired that the fabric beca 
very fashionable among officers and people, so much so that the 
hills and forests were swept clean of down and feathers, and 
vast numbers of birds were ensnared for their plumage. 
