Who were the amanteca (featherworkers) from Aztec Tenochtitlan? And why were featherworks so important? This video answers these questions by looking at various Aztec featherworks, including the so-called Penacho of Moctezuma II (feathered headdress) and shields (chimalli), as well as images of amanteca at work in The Florentine Codex.

One of the most important primary sources we have today to learn about the Aztec Empire, The Florentine Codex is a twelve-volume encyclopedia written in Spanish and Nahuatl and includes thousands of images. It devotes many images and pages to the craft of making featherworks, suggesting the importance of both the artisans who made them and the feathered objects themselves.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Featherworks in the Aztec Empire

0:25 Who are the amanteca (featherworks)?

0:39 Amantla in Tenochtitlan

0:51 Making featherworks and Aztec tribute items

1:10 The types of bird feathers (quetzals, macaws, spoonbills, etc.)

1:27 The amanteca in The Florentine Codex

Learn more

Check out the Digital Florentine Codex from The Getty Museum, https://florentinecodex.getty.edu

Watch our other video about Aztec featherworks