Moctezuma headdress
This is a magnificent replica of the headdress that the Aztec emperor Moctezuma presented to the conquistador Hernan Cortez in the year 1519. It is on display at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. The original headdress was given as a sign of respect and perhaps in an effort to placate potential aggression. Cortes sent the headdress back to his regent, Charles V of Spain who was part of the royal Habsburg family based in present day Austria; and in the ensuing 500 years, the headdress was lost, re-discovered and altered in efforts of restoration. The original was made of quetzal and other colorful bird feathers with sewn-on gold detailing.The original is now in the Museum of Ethnology, Vienna, Austria and is a source of dispute between Austria and Mexico, as no similar pieces remain in Mexico.
Moctezuma headdress
This is a magnificent replica of the headdress that the Aztec emperor Moctezuma presented to the conquistador Hernan Cortez in the year 1519. It is on display at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. The original headdress was given as a sign of respect and perhaps in an effort to placate potential aggression. Cortes sent the headdress back to his regent, Charles V of Spain who was part of the royal Habsburg family based in present day Austria; and in the ensuing 500 years, the headdress was lost, re-discovered and altered in efforts of restoration. The original was made of quetzal and other colorful bird feathers with sewn-on gold detailing.The original is now in the Museum of Ethnology, Vienna, Austria and is a source of dispute between Austria and Mexico, as no similar pieces remain in Mexico.