Aztec warriors.
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Six differing levels of military achievement are depicted in Codex Mendoza for young men who are destined to become priests. The first is a novice who has had made one capture. He wears a simple ichcahuipilli or quilted armour jacket. Those who had made two captures were awarded a white feather ornamented tlahuiztli, a tightly fitting body suit. A third capture entitled the warrior-priest to a wear a green tlahuiztli. A fourth capture entitles a priest to wear a remarkable black and white conical hat adopted from the Huaxtec people of Veracruz. The white dots and swirl on his shield signify a constellation of stars. Five captures entitles the warrior to carry a special shield ornamented with an eagle's foot while the highest ranking soldiers were awarded a yellow tlahuiztli and a helmet carved in the shape of a mountain lion.
Unknown author<span style="display: none;">Unknown author</span>
early 1540s
<p>Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc.
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<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.famsi.org/research/pohl/pohl_aztec5.html">[1]</a> Original document held at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodleian_Library" class="extiw" title="w:Bodleian Library">Bodleian Library</a>, Oxford. Shelfmark: MS. Arch. Selden. A. 1.