The Aztecs arrived in the Valley of Mexico in 1195 and remained and flourished until the Spaniards destroyed Tenochititlan in 1521. During these years they developed a rich culture and many forms of art. Stone workers, scribes, potters and feather workers created vibrant art objects. They used many semi precious stones such as turquoise, gold and shells to embellish their crafts. Their feather work was extensive (Montezuma II's headdress consisted of feathers from over 250 birds) The feather motif carried over into many of their other crafts. The scribes created pictographs that depicted events. As I was creating these designs, I had to find something to put these brilliant colors on for summer. The Kimono sleeved jacket below is McCall's pattern 2567 - a super easy pattern to sew and wear. The designs down the left side of the jacket are pictographs. Not sure what my jacket is saying!
