Cloth and clothing were of utmost importance to the Aztec people during the height of the empire. This importance is seen when noting the processes of making the garments and how these fibers were a key part of the social structure of the Aztec. These assets were paramount in the culture as they served as both an essential market good and a significant tribute item. As discussed by scholar Ross Hassig, the "Codex Mendoza" denotes that cloth and clothing were represented as cargas in the tribute system. The cloth giving as tribute or used in tribute ceremonies is estimated to be around 250,000 pieces of these fibers during the entirety of the Aztec Empire. Cloth and clothing ranging from fancy to plain was the most widely distributed item for a tribute during the time of the Spanish conquest, however, almost none of these textiles from before the conquest still survive to this day. Much of the art produced in the Aztec Empire before the Spanish invasion had ceased to be produced, except for the clothing.