It was the practice in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica to wear costume elements, especially head-dresses, which gave the name of the individual wearing the particular costume. However, head-dresses were also worn for other purposes, and it is often difficult to determine whether a costume element marked a name or some other characteristic of an individual. Nonetheless, the custom does sometimes enable us to recognize individuals in varied contexts.
January 1982 · issue 16.1