Page 290 - Vol_2_Archaeology of Manila Galleon Seaport Trade

264 K. Castillo and P. Fournier

shape of the vessel, which in turn simultaneously plays the role of ergon and frame.
This framework allows us to take into consideration not only the motifs themselves
but also the characteristics of the surface, which in both porcelain and majolica
plays a prominent role in de!ning the aesthetic qualities of the vessels.
Porcelain and majolica can be thought of in terms of what Hay (2016: 66)
de!nes as “surface scape,” the articulation of a sensuous surface, which is always
topological. This concept emphasizes the division between the optic and haptic
qualities of an artwork. When looking at both porcelain and majolica, it is almost
impossible to focus solely in the motifs because the texture demands just as much
attention as the decoration. The shiny and smooth surface of porcelain highlights
the dynamism of its ornamental motifs, playing with their calligraphic character and
allowing them to almost slide on the slick glaze. Colonial majolica is characterized
by the textural quality of its glossy surface. The dark blue pigment in particular
began to show a tendency to have volume, providing the smooth surface with an
interesting topography, while possibly also emphasizing the access to suf!cient
quantities of imported cobalt to produce such volume. In majolica, the topographic
character of the surface is highlighted by its shine. While the Asian-inspired motifs
remain just as dynamic as they are in porcelain, the haptic experience of the viewer
is completely different. Whereas in porcelain the cobalt designs are just as smooth
as the glaze that covers them, in majolica the pigment that de!nes the ornament
bulges, distorting the flat surface of the vessel. When texture becomes as important
a quality as the decoration depicted on the surface, a door is open for new con-
!gurations in which ornamental motifs can move across boundaries because the
interaction between them and the surface becomes signi!cant. This may have
allowed for processes of transmission, assimilation, and transposition to take place.
The dynamism of the ornamental motifs themselves, in both porcelain and
majolica, may have also contributed to their transferability. The freedom of the
brushstrokes that created them bestows the different iconographic elements with a
sense of movement. In both cases the ornamentation of the vessels seems to be
animated. The flying phoenix/swallow, with its long tail, appears to soar or descend
through the scene; the deer, jumping through the vegetation, can almost make the
leaves quiver; and the crane, whether it stands on a rock, a lake, or a cactus could
take off at any moment. The artisan appears to have had the intention of empha-
sizing the phenomena of transition, the image in motion (Michaud 2004: 28).
Perhaps this dynamic quality of ornament is what makes the decoration so adapt-
able and transferable.

15.7 Conclusion

In the majolica of New Spain, ornament transcended geographical, cultural, and
temporal boundaries. Colonial potters did not hesitate in taking ornamental motifs
from different origins and recombining them into new con!gurations. The trade
networks that characterized the Early Modern world provided them with a myriad