Illustration of a person in traditional attire kneeling on a tiled floor, holding a decorated, feathered object. Columns and a mountain can be seen in the background.

Amanteca

Nahua featherworkers (14th–16th centuries)

Renowned for creations made in feathers, amanteca were a special class of makers in the Aztec Empire. In Tenochtitlan, featherworkers lived in a neighborhood called Amantla, which is why they were called amanteca.

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.

Feather objects like feathered headdresses were popular for much of Mesoamerican history, and the Aztecs of Central Mexico created some of the most spectacular featherworks that still survive.

The Aztec sun stone hangs in a museum on the wall

Related Resources