19th C. Mexican Painted Wood Chest Quetzal Birds

Latin America, Mexico, ca. 19th to early 20th century CE. This is a beautiful hand-built and painted wooden chest with a hinged lid and striking birds adorning the front. The chest rests on a flat base, and the hipped lid has two iron hinges and a front iron key latch. The exterior is enveloped in a honey yellow hue and embellished with red in spiraling half circles and curvilinear motifs throughout. The front below the keyhole is painted with 2 dark blue quetzal birds, symmetrically facing each other. This chest is a lovely and functional piece of Mexican folk art! Size: 25.5" L x 17" W x 17" H (64.8 cm x 43.2 cm x 43.2 cm)

Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations have traditionally associated the resplendent quetzal bird with the sacred deity Quetzalcoatl. The ancient Aztecs and Maya believed that its iridescent green tail feathers symbolized spring plant growth and viewed the quetzal as the "god of the air" as well as a venerated symbol of goodness and light. Mesoamerican rulers wore headdresses comprised of quetzal feathers, which symbolically linked them to Quetzalcoatl. Since killing a quetzal was forbidden and considered a crime, instead, the bird was captured to pluck its tailfeathers, and then it was set free. Interestingly, the term for quetzal also means sacred or precious in several Mesoamerican languages.

Provenance: ex-House of Ancestors, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

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#167667
Condition Report: Box interior is in excellent condition with minor scuffs. Old chip to the top panel on the lid exterior. The exterior has staining and discoloration and some fading to painted motifs. Lid opens on hinge easily.