The Tzauhtli Glue

The Aztecs used the word "tzauhtli" to name the glue extracted from Orchid bulbs, which was used as adhesive for feather mosaics. According to the 16th century chronicles tzauhtli could be obtained from different species of orchids. The use of tzauhtli in the manufacture of feather mosaics...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Carolusa González Tirado
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Centre de Recherches sur les Mondes Américains 2006-01-01
Series:Nuevo mundo - Mundos Nuevos
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/nuevomundo/1674
Description
Summary:The Aztecs used the word "tzauhtli" to name the glue extracted from Orchid bulbs, which was used as adhesive for feather mosaics. According to the 16th century chronicles tzauhtli could be obtained from different species of orchids. The use of tzauhtli in the manufacture of feather mosaics, will be described based on Sahagún. Since tzauhtli is a mucilague, a brief description of the chemistry of polysaccharides will be presented, as well as a method of identification using gas chromatography.
ISSN:1626-0252