Concerns Raised Over Transport Box for Aztec Headdress “Penacho”
A new transport box, adapted from a design used by the British Museum in 2023 for the transport of a Tahitian funeral costume, has drawn criticism from Claudia Banz, director of the World Museum Vienna. The box was created in connection with a report commissioned by the Central European University (CEU) regarding the transportability of the “penacho,” a highly valuable and fragile Aztec headdress held by the museum.
The expert report questions the acceleration limits established by the World Museum vienna as being potentially too high. Banz argues that the transportability has been reduced to what is technically possible based on these limits,wich she believes are overly restrictive.A key concern is the comparison made to the Tahitian funeral costume. Banz states the costume is not comparable to the “Penacho” due to its age (approximately 200 years younger) and construction – utilizing short, compactly applied springs creating a more stable structure resistant to vibration. She notes the engineer involved worked with “dummy values” and that engineering solutions frequently enough prioritize ideal conditions, neglecting the actual, delicate state of the object, a factor best understood by restorers.
The British Museum’s transport box design demonstrated a maximum acceleration amplitude of 1 gram within a frequency range of 2 Hz to 18 Hz, deemed safe for the funeral costume.
Banz expressed disappointment that the World Museum was not consulted during the project, even for an exchange of ideas regarding technical possibilities and the specific restorative condition of the “Penacho.” She emphasizes the importance of multi-perspectivity and welcomes future dialog.
The ”penacho,” over 500 years old, is a unique and irreplaceable artifact consisting of Quetzal feathers and over 1,500 gold and brass pieces.Its fragility stems from the friction between these components. Mexico has repeatedly sought to exhibit the headdress within its own country, and private initiatives advocate for its repatriation. The transport box is scheduled to be handed over to the World Museum as part of Vienna Week, though concerns remain about whether it will physically fit through the museum’s entrance.
