Stephani Stephenson on mon 24 jan 11
Marci's post reminded me of this
just off the top of my head, so pardon me if i am heavier on story and
lighter on specifics:
another amazing confluence happened here in the western hemisphere as a
result of the Spanish conquest of what is now Mexico.
As Spain began to establish 'new world' colonies an incredible exchang=
=3D
e
of 'goods and services' took place.
Those Spanish Muslims or Moors who had been able to remain in Spain in=
=3D
to
the 1500s had been forced to convert to Christianity and lived under
Christianized names, etc. and even those were soon exiled. Mayolica
production in Spain had been largely done by Islamic artists.Some of them=
=3D
=3D20
managed to find their way to the new world on Spanish ships, where they
continued to work in clay , building the new Spanish colonial centers. .=
=3D
Spanish ceramists who were being influenced by the Italian renaissance st=
=3D
yle
in mayolica also travelled to New Spain.=3D20
Starting in the early 1500s, Spain not only sent ceramic maestros, potte=
=3D
rs,
masons, and tile artisans , but shipped ceramics to the colonies, for=3D20=
=3D
personal use and for merchandise . In addition they filled their loaded
ships with tile from Seville, using the tile ,( instead of sand ),as
ballast, and filling them with new world plunder on the return voyage.
the Western Hemisphere of course already had a well established ceramics
tradition.=3D20
Thus in centers like Puebla and Mexico city , as early as the mid 1500s
'Hipano-Islamic-Christian-Renaissance' forms and techniques were blendi=
=3D
ng
with indigenous Mexican forms , techniques and materials . and if that
wasn't enough, there was another direct influence at work, and this part
blows my mind.=3D20
During this time Spanish galleons were also trading for Chinese porcelain=
=3D
and their return route was not what you might think. After loading up=3D20=
=3D
Chinese trade goods in the Philippines, the galleons headed across the
Pacific to Acalpulco, on Mexico's Pacific coast. There the Chinese porcel=
=3D
ain
pottery was loaded onto mules and packed overland , across Mexico, via
Puebla, to Veracruz, on the Atlantic. where it was loaded onto Spanish
vessels and shipped across the Atlantic to Spain..=3D20
some of those pots never made it to Spain, or even the Atlantic , but we=
=3D
re
sold to the Spanish colonial ruling and upper class.=3D20
These Chinese porcelains directly inspired the local mayolica potters a=
=3D
nd
tilemakers. Soon the Chinese blue and white and vessel forms were combine=
=3D
d
with Spanish technique and vigorous indigenous motifs ,such as the quetza=
=3D
l
bird....
i can't help but be boggled that this incredibly international confluence=
=3D
happened in a place so far from our taditionally heralded 'culture center=
=3D
s'.
the resulting confluence formed the basis for the unique, vigorous=3D20
Mexican mayolica which endures even today.
I recommend a wonderful book on the subject:
called "Ceramica y Cultura
the story of spanish and Mexican Mayolica
The American adoption of Hispano-moresque-spanish revival styles in
architecture and tile, travelled a later, very different and even more
circuitous route.
Stephani Stephenson
monkeymind88@COMCAST.NET on mon 24 jan 11
Now see, this is what makes CLAYART so great.
I would never have known this if it weren't for these great answers
and the conversation that goes on here, feeding the mind and keeping
the dialog going.
>Marci's post reminded me of this
>just off the top of my head, so pardon me if i am heavier on story and
>lighter on specifics:
>
>another amazing confluence happened here in the western hemisphere as a
>result of the Spanish conquest of what is now Mexico.
>As Spain began to establish 'new world' colonies an incredible exchange
>of 'goods and services' took place.
> Those Spanish Muslims or Moors who had been able to remain in Spain in=
to
>the 1500s had been forced to convert to Christianity and lived under
>Christianized names, etc. and even those were soon exiled. Mayolica
>production in Spain had been largely done by Islamic artists.Some of them
>managed to find their way to the new world on Spanish ships, where they
>continued to work in clay , building the new Spanish colonial centers. .
>Spanish ceramists who were being influenced by the Italian renaissance sty=
le
>in mayolica also travelled to New Spain.
>Starting in the early 1500s, Spain not only sent ceramic maestros, potter=
s,
>masons, and tile artisans , but shipped ceramics to the colonies, for
>personal use and for merchandise . In addition they filled their loaded
>ships with tile from Seville, using the tile ,( instead of sand ),as
>ballast, and filling them with new world plunder on the return voyage.
>the Western Hemisphere of course already had a well established ceramics
>tradition.
>Thus in centers like Puebla and Mexico city , as early as the mid 1500s
>'Hipano-Islamic-Christian-Renaissance' forms and techniques were blendin=
g
>with indigenous Mexican forms , techniques and materials . and if that
>wasn't enough, there was another direct influence at work, and this part
>blows my mind.
>
>During this time Spanish galleons were also trading for Chinese porcelain
>and their return route was not what you might think. After loading up
>Chinese trade goods in the Philippines, the galleons headed across the
>Pacific to Acalpulco, on Mexico's Pacific coast. There the Chinese porcela=
in
>pottery was loaded onto mules and packed overland , across Mexico, via
>Puebla, to Veracruz, on the Atlantic. where it was loaded onto Spanish
>vessels and shipped across the Atlantic to Spain..
>some of those pots never made it to Spain, or even the Atlantic , but wer=
e
>sold to the Spanish colonial ruling and upper class.
>These Chinese porcelains directly inspired the local mayolica potters an=
d
>tilemakers. Soon the Chinese blue and white and vessel forms were combined
>with Spanish technique and vigorous indigenous motifs ,such as the quetzal
>bird....
>i can't help but be boggled that this incredibly international confluence
>happened in a place so far from our taditionally heralded 'culture centers=
'.
>the resulting confluence formed the basis for the unique, vigorous
>Mexican mayolica which endures even today.
>
>I recommend a wonderful book on the subject:
>called "Ceramica y Cultura
>the story of spanish and Mexican Mayolica
>
>The American adoption of Hispano-moresque-spanish revival styles in
>architecture and tile, travelled a later, very different and even more
>circuitous route.
>
>Stephani Stephenson
--
Jeanette Harris in Poulsbo WA
http://www.jeanetteharrisblog.blogspot.com
http://fiberneedlethread.blogspot.com/
http://www.washingtonpotters.org/WPA_Gallery.htm
http://www.southernarizonaclayartists.org/gallery/jeanette-harris
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