Chimalli
| Chimalli | |
|---|---|
 Shield of King Auítzotl , World Museum Vienna |
|
| Information | |
| Weapon type: | Protective weapon |
| Designations: | Chimalli |
| Use: | sign |
| Region of origin / author: |
Mexico , ethnic groups from Mexico |
| Distribution: | Mexico |
| Lists on the subject | |
The Chimalli is a protective weapon from Mexico.
description
The Chimalli is the traditional shield of the indigenous people of Mexico. There are two different types, which differ as follows:
- Otlachimalli:
The otlachimalli consists of bamboo cane that is split open and the individual strands are interwoven with double-twisted cotton fibers . Decorations in the form of faces, mythical figures and other representations are attached to the front . These representations are made with colored feathers like a mosaic . In addition, materials such as beaten copper and gold are used for decoration. The otlachimalli was used as a battle shield and it was already mentioned by the Spanish conquerors that they were "so hard that only heavy crossbow arrows can penetrate them". The shield was adopted by the Spaniards as it had the advantage of not splitting or breaking. The back was reinforced by horizontal and vertical wooden struts. A leather pad was used to protect the carrying arm. In some shields from the region also was tortoiseshell from turtles used to manufacture the blades and decorate.
- Quhauhchimalli:
The quhauhchimalli was made of wood and decorated in the same way as the otlachimalli. Mosaics made from stone chips were also applied to the Quhauhchimalli.
The back of both versions was equipped with leather straps that were used to carry and hold the shield. With both types of shield, a leather overlay also served as the basis for the decorations on the front. The size of the shields varied. Some had normal shield dimensions, others covered the whole body. There are reports of versions that could be collapsed.
Individual evidence
- ↑ George Cameron Stone, Donald J. LaRocca, A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor: in All Countries and in All Times, Courier Dover Publications, 1999, page 179, ISBN 978-0-486-40726 -5
literature
- Frances Berdan, Patricia Rieff Anawalt, The Codex Mendoza , University of California Press, 1992, page 6, ISBN 978-0-520-06234-4
- Justyna Olko, Turquoise diadems and staffs of the office: elite costume and insignia of power in Aztec and early colonial Mexico , Verlag Polish Society for Latin American Studies and Center for Studies on the Classical Tradition, University of Warsaw, 2005, page 229, ISBN 978-83-923482-1-4
