The earliest Mexican jewelry designers needed to keep a careful eye on the calendar. Of course the first Mexican jewelry designs did not have the sort of calendars that we have today.

Aztec jewelry designers relied on the information in wooden, plaster and malachite calendars.

Prior to any religious ceremony, the early Mexican jewelry designers needed to create new masques.

Those masques would be worn by the men who would perform in the planned sacred ceremony. The jewelry designer had to understand the nature of that ceremony, so that he could create an appropriate masque.

In the ancient Aztec society, few people could read and write. They learned about the Aztec religion by observing the performances at the religious ceremonies. The masques made by the jewelers thus served as an important teaching tool.

Today, masques can tie together an event that calls for participation from numerous faith-based organizations. Masks have been part of many religious and cultural traditions. The streets of present-day Philadelphia contain many masked parade participants on New Year’s Day. They are all taking part in the annual Mummer’s Parade.