A Feather Fan from 16th Century Mexico

Pennsic Known World A&S 2025. For this project I did my best to recreate a featherwork insignia fan featuring feather mosaics as it would have been done during the 16th century.

Featherwork is a delicate and culturally rich craft that dates back to at least the Teotihuacan period (AD 100-600). Made of relatively fragile materials and prone to pest infestation, only about eight pieces of pre colonial feather work still exist, five of which are shields. The only extant feather insignia is currently held in the Museum für Völkerkunde (Museum of Ethnology) in Vienna, Austria

This fan would have been more of a badge of status than a functional object, announcing the bearer's rank with the color, size, complexity, and rarity of its feathers. This size is meant to be held in the hand, perhaps in a procession or at an event, but they were also made in larger sizes meant to be carried by a servant or retainer. 

Documentation:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X1FlGnrN_l8CxqWiOMp1zKI6Vbsl9-n8HgKIIQpQDE0/edit?usp=sharing