Page 291 - Vol_2_Archaeology of Manila Galleon Seaport Trade

15 A Study of the Chinese Influence on Mexican Ceramics 265

of elements from which they developed a particular aesthetic character. Ornaments
of different origins became mixed together in colonial majolica resulting in a unique
style where the interpretation of the various elements remained consistently local.
The Chinese influence is strong on Mexican majolica, but the motifs acquired a life
of their own that enabled them to sit comfortably amidst European, Islamic, and
local elements, as well as by themselves. The phoenix does not need to fly over
lotus flowers or rocks, it is not tied to a particular meaning or context, it interacts
with the surface and invites the viewer to do the same. More importantly, some of
these motifs and compositional arrangements, such as the flying phoenix/long-tailed
bird and the crane, became part of the recurrent ornamental vocabulary of colonial
majolica and are today considered typical elements of traditional Mexican majolica
despite their foreign origins. It is also possible that the extensive dotted decoration
that today is ubiquitous in Mexican majolica resulted from an oversimpli!cation of
foliage and arabesque motifs taken from both Chinese porcelain (Fig. 15.7) and the
Spanish decorative style crowded with dots sometimes called emborronado (Lister
and Lister 2001: 85). Indeed, the influence of Chinese porcelain is still readily
evident in the majolica produced nowadays using traditional techniques in the states
of Puebla, Tlaxcala, Guanajuato, and Aguascalientes. Workshops in Puebla such as
“Talavera Uriarte” (Fig. 15.8) and “Talavera Celia” produce vessels with designs
that show elements that were appropriated centuries ago from Chinese porcelain.
Motifs like the phoenix/swallow, the crane, and the dotted decoration continue to be
tremendously popular today and constitute essential elements in Mexican majolica,
whether traditional or reinterpreted as contemporary artworks.

Fig. 15.7 Chinese porcelain
with arabesque motifs
(San Jerónimo Convent,
Mexico City)