Cuauhtemoc Head

This stunning piece is hand crafted with obsidian stone and inlayed with turquoise, mother-of-pearl shell, and malachite. (add:) History: Cuauhtemoc was the last of a long line on noble Aztec Emperors, dying as a hero at the hands of Cortez. Moctezuma was Emperor when the Spaniards first landed in Mexico in 1519 to begin The Conquest. Thinking that Cortez was the fulfillment of a prophecy of the return the god Quetzalcoatl, Moctezuma was hesitant at taking action to stop the invasion, and the Spaniards were able to advance upon the capital. By this time it was too late to stop them and Moctezuma was killed either by the Spaniards or his own subjects who had begun a revolt against him. Cuitlahuac, his brother then became Emperor, but soon died from smallpox. Cuauhtemoc, a cousin then took over the leadership of the Aztecs. He fought bravely, though vainly, and was unable to stem the ultimate outcome, becoming the symbol of Aztec pride and culture. Artisans have memorialized him since then, using the elaborate feathered headdress as his signature. The original headdress, taken from him as a memento after his death, resides in a museum in Spain.