Inka Bird Idiom: Amazonian Feathers in the Andes

A wide-ranging and thought-provoking review of bird imagery and featherwork in the Inca Empire and colonial-era Andean chronicles. Brosseder offers a welcome new resource that will be of interest to scholars in multiple disciplines. * Hispanic American Historical Review * In her insightful and beautifully illustrated book, Claudia Brosseder appeals to readers interested in the rich cultural tapestry of the Andean region and brings new understanding to the meaning of birds and feathers in Inka civilization. Through meticulous research, Brosseder offers a valuable cultural study explaining how birds and feathers were not merely elements of the natural world but held profound metaphorical and ritualistic significance. Inka Bird Idiom is a compelling work that deepens the understanding of Andean civilization and its profound connections with the natural world and religious beliefs. * Hispania * While maintaining the utmost academic rigor, Inka Bird Idiom is an inviting text for anyone interested in learning more about the Andes, the Amazon, the Inkas, birds, and feathers. * A Contracorriente * In this fascinating and beautifully illustrated book, Brosseder explores avian species, ranging from the caracaras of the high Andes to lowland Amazonian macaws, as prime structuring principles in Inca ontology, ideology, and power relations. * Choice Reviews * What are we to make of stuffed ducks that Atahualpa sent to Pizzaro before they met? How is the Virgin Mary associated with parrots? Why are bundles of feathers offered to the sacred? Birds and their feathers in all their various roles in Andean, and especially Inka, society before and after the conquest are examined herein. Their materiality and meanings are the heart of Brosseder’s exquisite study. What unfolds here is the Andean perspective and use of this incredibly vibrant resource that is so rich and powerful and beyond the Western imagination. -- Thomas Cummins, Harvard University In this amply illustrated and beautifully written book, Brosseder scours archaeological and ethnohistorical records to reveal the meanings of birds and their feathers to the Inkas. While fine Andean featherwork has long been admired as craft, Brosseder’s study sheds new light on why birds were so integral to the visual cultures of Andean peoples across both time and space. -- Carolyn Dean, University of California at Santa Cruz