Chest (petaca) ca. 1772 Unknown This embroidered leather chest (petaca) from 18th-century New Spain is among the finest and best preserved examples among the handful that survive. It is of exceptional historical importance as the only work of its type whose date and place of origin can be reliably established on the basis of documentation. The Spanish word petaca, derives from the náhuatl petlacalli, a type of covered storage basket. Like Aztec petlacalli, the underlying structures of New Spanish petacas are woven like baskets. In imitation of chests imported from Spain, they are covered in leather and fitted with forged iron hardware. Local artisans in Mexico mastered Spanish leatherworking techniques and often adopted styles of ornamentation that were rooted in the Hispano-Islamic traditions of Andalucia. The finest petacas feature a type of embroidered decoration known as piteado, executed in pita or ixtle (thread made from maguey fiber). This example is unique among known New Spani