STANDARD OR HEAD-DRESS?

To the distinguishlld scholar, tlle late ProfeMOr Feroinnnd von

Hochstetter, we owe a debt of gratitude for the preaervntion or the
unique specimen of noclen!. Mes:icsn fcntllcr-work wbich will bo as:-
hlbited e\'cntuaJ1y us one ot the gems of UIC rich ethnological col-
lection ill the newly crect.ed Imperial MlLlleum of Natural History
in Vienna.
In 1878, his attention waa directed to its (ormer presencc at the
Belvidere Museum by a not.ice in Dnron "on Sn.cken'8 descripth'e
clltalogue of the Jmperial Ambrll8 collection printed in Vienna in
18S5, wherein, among mro object.s from \'ariOIlIl porta of the world,
it i8 mentioned as (01101l's: "No, 3-A }(exican henel-dress ahout
8 ft. in height composed of magnificent green rcntliers wilil golden-
hued lustre tllld of coloured bands of fenther-work studde(l with
small plate.s of gold. This specimen was termed in the tll\' entory
or 1596 11 Moorish bat.''' Guided by this nato, Herr von Hoeb
stelter with the Msist.n.nce or Dr. lIg, the custodian or the AmbrM
collection, found the precious relic and rescllcd it from all obscure
oorncr of II. showcase wbcre It hung, foilled toget.her. next. to n
medireval bishop's lDitre and 8urrountlecl by ILlIltlry curiosities from
North AlOerica, Chinn. nnd the Sundn Islumls. It Will , unfortu
notely, in soimpaircd and motbt:!aten i\ condit.iOD thnt, to use llt:! rr
Hochsl<ltter'a words, be rested it would fall to pieces on taking
from the case. Permission WIlS obtalnetl for It81mmediate trtmsfer
to the cthnogmphical collection then in process of formatiOIl. and
the valuable object was placed under the care or Herr "on Hoch
8tetler who proceeded to pro,'lde for Its future pre8en'nt1oll and to
invest igate its PlUlt ili8tory with the following intl!tCsting resulta.
L
Hs earliest. record, dating lUI far back a.'I; 1596, W49 found hi the
first inventory of tile Ambrns collection \TritteD one year after tbe
'Theae Wen! pabllalled Ln li e", 'I'on lIoc!luelter'. Ine ll .1 .. (Je b" UuLk.nLlclte ROo
1IC1I1Len etta der'lell 1l0Ilte&UIII.'t," WLe Q, 1881, I'rOIU IOhld, 1 ha 1.111, ..ad
turUiu .... 111.111' dAl.L
(.)

1lIl1ICAN BTA.ND.l.RD
demise of the nrtlh(luke Ferdinnnd of Tyrol, the founder of the col
loot\on, by the imperial commissioners appointed to rc\' !sc bis will.I
On folio H2 of Ulis ancient document. it i8 cllto.iogued wit.h other
objects in feather-work contained in 1\ cbest. (No.9)" and Is Ill'!-
8criuetl as "& Moorlsb h!l.L of beRutiful, long, IU8troUS groon antI
gold-hued (co.there, bedecked 000"0 with white, red and blue rca.tlJ
CI1I and gold rosettes and ornaments. In front, on the forehead,lt
bas a beak of pure gold." Tlu! term as here applied, cnn
Icarcely be regnrded as a. deceptive one Inasmuch as " Montezuma,
tbe king of Tcmistit.an and Mexicot" is subsequently designated :L9
lIa 1I[oori,b king" In this lawo io\'cntory of 1596. (See p. 9.)
It Is interesting to note the grtl.dunl changes that occur in the
wording of the subsequent periodical officiul registrations of this
"Moorish hat." In 161S it! description waa faithrullyreproduced.
In 1621 the word" Indian" wu eub$titutcd for "Moorish;" with
thia lingle a.1t.eralion the original text WII.8 again transcribed in
1150. In 1188, howe\'er, 0. remArkable tmnsformation Willi
the hnt bec&me "aD apron" and the official record reads: "An In
dian apron of long green (eathers. It is garnished _liMe with.
narrow band of whlt.c (enthers, followed by n broad onc of green,
then there is n narrow stripe or red and a broad one of blue. The
b:Ulcls are studded wilu crescenta or hOrlSe ehoes. small circular
plates nntl oUler Ulin gold piccefl. Tue old Inventory deslgnatee
this object &8 an Indi an hilt."
Thie Ifllt. sentence pro'lo'ea t.lle iflentity of the llpecimen described.
The .. beak of pure gold on tile rorelJead" i8 not mentioned here
and no subsequent reference is mode t.o it.. It. probably founcl ita
way to the melting pot. (luring the flny.two years intervening be-
tween the two registrallons, sbaring thus the common fllte of nl
most aU of the much admIred go!dsmiUuJ' work brought to Europe
by tbe Conquero\'1l. Des(>Oiled o( tile gold bCDk DO<.I poSllibly Q(
8ueh means or attachment as may ha\'e originally served to (aBten
it, it would seem 88 though the object hnd been deprived of that
wlticll ehllrlleterized it as a head-drell for it remained" nn npron"
II CI t Tyrol .... 1101. I. la,lIuohllll,. IInled "I1lh Ihllt ot
lIl. plt.lel'lI " II. 1'111111'1'1"1 WeIN' ...... ll1'lIe'I:ond..,,, or !.be KIDPCTO' r U.,.nd I
CIt OemllUl, lod tbe ... Dr lb" ElllpeRl. Chl.le. V. AI U", dcalh or Ferdinllnd r.
Ibe EIUIJir .. "lUI .1I"ltletlIJel.WKII hi. II' .... lIOai "lid c.be le.enmnt or Tyrol tdl '" III.
Arc:hdllh ... b_ coUti beeame I nOied CUlre ot I tI, .. d learn! .. ,. r ..
" ori .... reokluCl ..... Ull e.ull .. ot A",lo .... nu. IIIDlPruck, delltlDod In ,,, R'TD,llIall,.
InIDI ronned lul.O I lDuelim tor Ibe wo.I<I,,,,,,o"'lIod and lIIalllUlunl .. IIf'OUJC:bl
""IeCber UU'Clulb II,. lDultGkl udl,..lelll.1k ucrtktu oU,- eotbu.II,llc tOIlDdtr.