Of universal appeal and unique beauty, feathers have for thousands of years been used by people in all parts of the Andeans to adorn themselves and to animate their environment. Among traditional societies, garments and other objects embellished with feathers also have great cultural value and are imbued with spiritual energy and supernatural force. From an aesthetic point of view, Andean feathers works speak more eloquently for themselves than a thousand words. It should, however, be pointed out that their sacredness was not a function of their rarity but rather, by association with the Celestial messenger, the Condor —Eagle, the wearer shared the supernatural powers of this divine intercessor, guide of the souls to the mystical realm of light.