Montezuma's penacho

Alfonso de Maria y Campos, Director of the National Institute of Anthropology and History in Mexico, gives his very diplomatic opinion on the negotiations over Montezuma's penacho,  commonly known as the Feather Headdress of Ancient Mexico – housed at the Museum of Ethnography in Vienna.

"... is a cultural good that represents the feather craftsmanship of Mesoamerica, unique in that it evinces the quality and mastery of Mexican artisans.Ancient prehispanic craftsmen created an art form out of garments and other objects made with feathers, which reflected the power of those who wore them or served as element in the offerings that played an integral part in the daily lives of prehispanic cultures."

... "Certain cultural goods become the legacy of a country and the ability of human beings to materialise the identity of a group or the sentiment of an era. One example of this is the Feather Headdress of Ancient Mexico which is deeply rooted in the Mexican identity of the 21^st Century. It left national territory almost half a millennium ago and is one of the first witnesses of the encounter between two cultures."

See more here:

http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/12/06/the-feather-headdress-of-ancient-mexico-might-visit-its-roots-soon/- 

Thanks to Molly Elizabeth for sharing this post!