Potters' signatures and changes in the maiolica craft from colonial Mexico as an expression of the doctrine of blood purity

Summary

The aim of this paper is to explore the potential that the potters’ signatures on maiolica vessels have to gain insights to the shifts in the craft industry from the mid-seventeenth century and onwards. It will be argued that the modifications that are observable on the personal imprints of the potters may have been related with changing attitudes towards their cultural identities. The analysis of archaeological samples from different sites in Mexico City enabled the identification of a variety of potters’ signatures. This allowed the identification of several workshops that were active during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. These intriguing elements were then correlated with different ceramic types in order to obtain glimpses into the complexity of the production, distribution and consumption of different table sets. The analysis of this kind of material culture in conjunction with data obtained from documentary sources enabled to explore shifts in the craft industry. It will be argued that these shifts were related with the reorganization of the guild and the reaffirmation of cultural identities and social status within the context of miscegenation and blood purity.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)   •
• Capital, Craft, and Consumption in Mesoamerica after the Spanish Invasion

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