Montezuma's headdress
Under the name feather crown of Moctezuma (Spanish: Penacho de Moctezuma ) is a precious feather headdress ( Nahuatl: quetzalāpanecayōtl ) which, is located in the World Museum Vienna (inventory number 10402 VO ). It is probably the headdress of a priest. A connection to the Aztec ruler Moctezuma penultimate Xocoyotzin is highly speculative.
Description
The headdress is now exhibited in the form of a European fan, wherein said central portion protrudes slightly beyond the circular segment addition. The dimensions are 116 cm in height and, depending on the spread to 175 cm in width. Its surface is covered with feathers of various birds in concentric semi-circles. The smallest semicircle is made of blue feathers in Nahuatl as xiuhtōtōtl designated bird ( Cotinga amabilis ) and is bordered with small gold flakes in flake form. Outwardly, followed by a narrow border of pink feathers Flamingo ( tlāuhquechōlli ), then small green quetzal feathers. The next largest ring is made of reddish-brown feathers with white tips of a cuckoo bird, Piaya cayana, the ring is bordered with three rows of small gold nuggets. The outermost row of feathers are the tail feathers of the quetzal bird, which are up to 55 cm high and are set very close together. The higher towering center part has the same structure, only shifted slightly upward. Again, longer springs have come to use. The springs are attached to a network of fine fiber cords, which have been stabilized by stiffening bars. Another network with leather straps used to slipping it over the head of the wearer. In 1878, the headdress, which has shown strong infestation was restored with yet proceeded from the assumption that it is a coat. Missing Goldplätten were replaced by gilded bronze, feathers used as possible of the same kind.
Function
About the use of the spring jewelry there was disagreement from the beginning. The inventory is a promotional headwear speech, where it is uncertain how this knowledge may have come. Then a coat or a return currency ( worn on the back of badge ) was adopted. It was only in 1892 showed the American anthropologist Zelia Nuttall that it is a headdress, which was generally accepted after some time and to this day is considered as recognized research opinion. In the Vienna feather headdress is clearly not the badge of low to highest rulers, the xiuhhuitzolli, a triangular, pointed upward leaking head bandage, which was studded with precious stones, especially turquoise ( xihuitl ). This badge was so typical that rulers are always characterized in pictures handwritten representations. The headdress used by the modern Conchero dancers from ostrich feathers, copilli is a modern development.
History
The earliest clear description of the spring headdress found in an inventory which was created for the then Ambras Castle located curiosities collection of Archduke Ferdinand of Tyrol after his death in 1596 ( Inuentari Weilennd of Fr: dt: Ertzhertzog Ferdinanden to Austria ec lobseligister gedechtnus. varnussen VND estate ). There, the headdress is described as follows: Mer ain Mörischer Huet feathers gulden of long beautiful glistening grienlechten VND VND top up red with white feathers blawen, with gulden Roslen VND geflunder ausgesezt, has the front of the forehead, ain quite gulden Schnabl. On the other hand, it may be assumed that the headdress described in the list in 1519 because of numerous discrepancies to another object, which is not obtained. This list contains those around 160 objects that Hernán Cortés sent to the Spanish kings through his emissaries Alsonso Puertocarrero Fernández and Francisco de Montejo in 1519. It can be assumed that it comprises, among others, the gifts of Moctezuma to Cortés. It is this collection that was admired in different places, such as Vera Cruz, Seville, Valladolid and Brussels of many contemporaries, including in autumn 1520 by Albrecht Dürer. An essential part of the gifts were the costumes that were worn by priests as representatives of important deities, Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca among them. It is believed that the feathered headdress from the collection of Count Ulrich (VI ) of Montfort comes in Tettnang ( Swabia ), and was purchased later by Archduke Ferdinand. About the origin of this until 1575 detectable object is not known. The aforementioned golden beak is the last time mentioned in the inventory of 1730, he must have been lost in the following decades. From the Ambras collection most of the pieces arrived in the early 19th century to Vienna, where they are now preserved in the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Only the pre-Columbian and colonial some temporal properties are located in the World Museum in Vienna.
Controversy
The feather headdress is the only remaining object of its kind ( in the Museo Nacional de Antropologia in Mexico City, there is a custom built in the 1950's copy). It's Mexican policy, as far as possible due to such outstanding cultural treasures to their country of origin. This goal, the Mexican Conchero dancer and activist Xokonoschtletl Gomorra has prescribed, who founded for this purpose in 1993 the union Yankuikanahuak and forwards. He has since operated an international campaign, but does not address the restitution of cultural property, but considers the headdress as a national identification symbol.
Closely linked to these claims is the connection of the spring headdress to the Aztec ruler Moctezuma II, for which there are no clues. However, this compound is traditionally grown in the minds of Mexicans (see the symbol of the Metro station Moctezuma ).