Loza poblana: The emergence of a Mexican ceramic tradition.
Item
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Title
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Loza poblana: The emergence of a Mexican ceramic tradition.
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Identifier
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AAI3294243
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identifier
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3294243
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Creator
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Connors McQuade, Margaret E.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Eloise Quinones Keber
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Date
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2005
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Art History | History, Latin American | Anthropology, Archaeology
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Abstract
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For over four centuries, the Mexican city of Puebla de los Angeles has been recognized as the most important producer of maiolica (tin-glazed earthenware) in Latin America. Referred to in colonial documents as loza, this ware enjoyed the widest distribution of any ceramic made in the Americas. The study of Puebla colonial ceramics provides an avenue for exploring the emergence of an artistic tradition born of converging cultures, for it reflects the cultural encounters of Spain, Italy, China, and the Islamic world.;The origin of loza poblana (Puebla maiolica) dates to Spain's conquest of Mexico in 1521, when Spaniards introduced techniques for producing the ceramic ware they had known in Europe---most notably tin- and lead-based glaze, the potter's wheel, and an updraft kiln---contributions that may be counted among the most important artistic innovations introduced to New Spain in the sixteenth century. This dissertation explores developments in the Puebla ceramic tradition from the sixteenth century through the early twentieth century, with a focus on its emergence. Analyses and conclusions rely on archival documents, historic literature, archaeological findings, as well as close object studies and recent scholarship. The introduction presents the subject and gives a historical overview of ceramic practices, especially in regard to maiolica. Next follows the historical background for the tradition in Spain and Puebla, and the important trade networks that developed across the Atlantic and the Pacific coasts as well as within the American colonies. Chapter 3 is dedicated to the potters and their workshops, with an attempt to restore their names and those of their workshops to ceramic history. The next chapter deals with tilework, focusing on Puebla's tradition of decorating churches and conventos with tiles, while the chapter on vessels focuses on the development of their forms and designs. The final chapter is devoted to the history of the largest and most important collections of Puebla pottery in Mexico and the United States. This dissertation fills gaps in extant scholarship by bringing to the fore the development of a tradition over centuries, and by outlining the social and cultural conditions and ramifications of its production.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
