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Madonna on the crescent moon

Artisans held important positions in the Aztec empire, as they produced prestige and luxury products for the elite. Bishop Vasco de Quiroga (1537 - 1556) promoted the pre-Hispanic tradition of feather craftsmanship in Michoacan in the second half of the 16th century. The town of Pátzcuaro developed into a centre for handicrafts, especially gold and feather work. The feather painting depicts a Madonna on a crescent moon. The metallic blue shimmering hummingbird feathers are striking in this very well-preserved work. Since the end of the 18th century, this craft technique has been characterised by the introduction of painted parts in the feather mosaic, especially the more complicated parts of the picture. Here the hands and face are painted in oil. (M. Gaida 2003)

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Cataloguing data

Object type
Feather mosaic
Dimensions
Width: 20,5 cm
Depth: 27 cm
Weight: 380 g
Material/Technique
Feathers , Alloy (copper), Iron, Colour (oil), Paper
Current location
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Inventory number
IV Ca 24

Provenance and sources

  • Production
    when
    before 1804
    where
    Mexico
    Patzcuaro (?)
  • Assignment to a curated holding:
    American Archaeology

Information about the record

Legal status metadata
CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED
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