De Asia a la Nueva España vía Europa: Lacas Asiáticas y achinadas en el siglo xviii

Abstract

This paper argues that during the 17th and 18th centuries, "Chinese" and "Chinese style" objects became familiar in New Spanish domestic settings by means of a process of "domestication" that involved Asian, as well as New Spanish and European works. The article focuses on both the production and the consumption of Chinese and Chinesestyle lacquer ware from the eighteenth century. Special attention is paid to Chinese-style lacquers made following European techniques, as well as to folding screens and their role in the Chinese-style lacquer phenomenon. On the basis of documentary analysis, as well as on the study of several preserved objects, this paper demonstrates that the Chinese-style lacquer phenomenon was not restricted to Asian and New Spanish lacquers of pre-Hispanic technique, but linked to various works in terms of techniques, production centers, and prices.