Description
Book SynopsisThe Spanish colonization dramatically interrupted the autonomous development of ancient Mesoamerican culture. Nevertheless, indigenous societies learnt to live with the conquest. It was not only a time of crisis, but also an extraordinarily creative time period in which material culture reflected indigenous peoples’ varied responses and adaptations to the changing circumstances. This work presents insights into the process of cultural continuity and change in the indigenous world by focusing on pottery technology in the Nahua (Aztec) region of Central Mexico. The late pre-colonial, early colonial and present-day characteristics of this industry are explored in order to come to a renewed understanding of its long-term development. with a contribution by Iliana Yunuen Caloca Rhi
Table of ContentsTable of contents Acknowledgments Introduction Cultural continuity A note on some terms used Organization of this work Chapter 1. Archeology of Colonialism Post-colonial thinking Colonies, colonization and colonialism Hybridity and hybridization Archeology of colonialism The archeology of colonialism in Mesoamerica Chapter 2. The Study of Material Culture The study of material culture Change in material culture A method to study change in material culture Conservatism of potters Change and continuity in pottery-making Summary Chapter 3. Ceramic-Making before the Conquest Sources to study late pre-colonial ceramics Organization of ceramic production (a) Clay preparation (b) Vessel forming (c) Vessel surface finishing (d) Firing (e) Decoration (f) Assembling vessel shapes The impact of the Aztec empire on ceramic-making Ceramics as ritual objects and media of literacy Summary Chapter 4. Ceramic-Making in Early Colonial Times Sources to study early colonial ceramics Organization of ceramic production (a) Clay preparation (b) Vessel forming (c) Vessel surface finishing (d) Firing (e) Decoration (f) Assembling a repertoire of vessel shapes The impact of the Spanish ceramic technology Ceramics as indices of cultural affiliation in early colonial central Mexico Early colonial ceramics in central Mexico Chapter 5. Ceramic-Making at the Present Sources to study present-day ceramics Organization of ceramic production (a) Clay preparation (b) Vessel forming (c) Vessel surface finishing (d) Firing (e) Decoration (f) Assembling a repertoire of vessel shapes The environmental impact of ceramic-making Impact of institutional programmes topromote ceramic-making Present-day ceramics in central Mexico Chapter 6. Ceramics, Cultural Continuity and Social Change The development of ceramic-making during early colonial times The development of ceramic-making at the present Ceramics and cultural continuity The role of material culture in the process of colonization Reactions of Mesoamerican potters to the colonization The perspectives of ceramic-making List of Illustrations Figure 1. Fragments of late Aztec Black-on-Orange vessels from the valley of Mexico. Figure 2. Fragments of late pre-Hispanic Red Wares from the valley of Mexico. Figure 3. Fine polychrome vessel with pictographic decoration from a burial in Cholula (Suárez 1989) deposited at INAH Puebla (photo by Sergio Suárez). Figure 4. Patterns of decoration on early and late Aztec Black-on-Orange vessels from the valley of Mexico: (a) early Aztec tripod bowl (based on Minc et al. 1994:Fig. 6.2a) (b) early Aztec bowl (based on Minc et al. 1994:Fig. 6.3b) (c) early Aztec bowl (based on Minc et al. 1994:Fig. 6.3d) (d) early Aztec tripod plate (based on Minc et al. 1994: Fig. 6.4f) (e) early Aztec bowl (based on Cervantes et al. 2007:Fig. 9) (f) early Aztec plate (based on Cervantes et al. 2007:Fig. 14) (g) early Aztec plate (based on Minc et al. 1994:Fig. 6.4k) (h) early Aztec plate (based on Cervantes et al. 2007:Fig. 23) (i) early Aztec bowl (based on Minc et al. 1994:Fig. 6.6h) (j) early Aztec bowl (based on Minc et al. 1994: Fig. 6.5i) (k) early Aztec tripod bowl (based on Minc et al. 1994:Fig. 6.5k) (l) late Aztec tripod bowl (based on Cervantes and Fournier 1995:Fig. 2) (m) decoration pattern on late Aztec plate (based on Cervantes and Fournier 1995:Fig. 8) (n) late Aztec plate (based on Cervantes and Fournier 1995:Fig. 5) and (o) decoration pattern on late Aztec bowl (based on Cervantes and Fournier 1995:Fig. 9). Figure 5. Patterns of decoration on late pre-Hispanic Red Wares from the valley of Mexico: (a) early Aztec Black-on-Red bowl (based on Cervantes et al. 2007:Fig. 15) (b, c) late Aztec Black-on-Red bowls (based on Charlton et al. 1995:Fig. 1) (d, e, f) late Aztec Black-on-Red bowls (based on Cervantes et al. 2007:Fig. 61) (g, h, i) late Aztec Black-on-Red vessels (based on Charlton et al. 2007:Fig. 19) (j, k, l) late Aztec White-and-Black-on-Red bowls (based on Cervantes et al. 2007:Fig. 62) (m) late Aztec White-on-Red bowl (based on Cervantes et al. 2007:Fig. 39) (n, o) late Aztec White-and-Black-on-Red bowls (based on Cervantes et al. 2007:Fig. 43). Figure 6. Pictographic decoration on late pre-Hispanic fine polychrome vessels from Cholula: (a) goblet deposited at INAH-Puebla (b) censer deposited at Universidad de las Américas-Puebla (c) plate of frying-pan censer deposited at INAH-Puebla (d) goblet deposited at Universidad de las Américas-Puebla. Figure 7. Late pre-Hispanic vessel shapes in the valley of Mexico: (a, b, c) ollas (d) basin with upright walls (e) basin with flaring walls (f) comal (g.h, i) censers (j) pitcher (k) basin with upright walls (l, m) hemispherical bowls (n) bowl with upright walls (o) hemispherical bowl (p) bowl with upright walls (q) bowl with flaring walls (r) dish (s) tripod bowl with flaring walls (t) molcajete (u) bowl with upright walls (v, w) miniatures (x, y) goblets (z, aa, bb, cc) bowls with upright bowls (dd) bowl with composite silhouette (ee) goblet (ff, gg) bowls with upright walls (hh) plate. Not scaled. Figure 8. Shapes of late pre-Hispanic polychrome vessels with pictographic decoration from Cholula: (a, b, c) bi-conical vases (d) vase (e) goblet (f) tripod bowl with flaring walls (g) bowl with flaring walls (h) hemispherical bowl (i) plate (j, k) censers (l) composite silhouette basin (m) crater (n) bottle. Figure 9. Fine polychrome vessels from Cholula with pictographic decoration representing the “complex of the solar band”: (a) hemispherical bowl deposited at the Universidad de las Américas-Puebla (b) plate deposited at INAH-Puebla (c) crater deposited at INAH-Puebla. Figure 10. Fine polychrome vessels from Cholula with pictographic complexes with religious and ritual connotations: (a) vase referring to the cult of the ancestors deposited at INAH-Tlaxcala (b) vase referring to propitiation of agricultural fertility deposited at INAH-Tlaxcala (c) bi-conical vase referring to pulque and fertility deposited at Universidad de las Américas-Puebla (d) goblet referring to actions around warfare deposited at Universidad de las Américas-Puebla (e) censer referring to the invocation of Quetzalcoatl deposited at INAH-Puebla (f) plate referring to the invocation of powerful nahuales deposited at INAH-Tlaxcala. Figure 11. Fragments of ollas from the valley of Mexico with juncture marks showing that they were made using two or three horizontal molds as in pre-Hispanic times. Figure 12. Fragments of vessels made by wheel with compression rings on the interior of the walls. Figure 13. Fragments of early colonial Red Wares from the valley of Mexico. Figure 14. Fragments of early colonial Black-on-Orange wares from the valley of Mexico. Figure 15. Early colonial fine polychrome vessel with pictographic decoration from Cholula. Figure 16. Fragments of early colonial molcajetes with lead glaze from the valley of Mexico. Figure 17. Patterns of decoration on early colonial Black-on-Orange wares from the valley of Mexico: (a, b, c, d) molcajetes and tripod bowls (based on Charlton et al. 2007:Fig. 12) (e, f, g, k) molcajetes and tripod bowls (based on Charlton et al. 2007:Fig13) and (h, i, j, l) molcajetes (based on Charlton et al. 2007:Fig. 14).. Figure 18. Patterns of decoration on early colonial Red Wares from the valley of Mexico: (a, b) bowls with flared walls (based on Charlton et al. 1995:Fig. 6) (c) bowl with upright walls (based on Charlton et al. 1995:Fig. 5) (d) plate with interior decoration (based on Charlton et al. 1995:Fig. 8). Figure 19. Patterns of decoration on early colonial lead glazed wares from the valley of Mexico. Figure 20. Patterns of decoration on early colonial Majolica wares from the valley of Mexico (based on Lister and Lister 1987:Fig. 85). Figure 21. Shapes of early colonial serving vessels from the valley of Mexico: (a, b) ollas (based on Charlton et al. 2007:Fig. 68) (c) hemispherical bowl (based on Charlton et al. 2007:Fig. 69) (d) tripod molcajete (based on Charlton et al. 2007:Fig. 66) (e, f) tripod bowls (based on Charlton et al. 2007:Fig. 15) (g) plate (h, i) tripod bowls (based on Charlton et al. 2007:Fig. 23 Rodríguez Alegría 2002:Fig. A.1) (j, k, l, m) bowls (n) plate (o, p, q) goblets (based on Charlton et al. 2007:Fig. 26; Rodríguez Alegría 2002:Fig. A.1). Figure 22. Vessel shapes depicted in the Códice de los Alfareros de Cuauhtitlan with the names given in the document: (a) molcaxete para cacaos (b, c) alcarrazas (d) jarro (e, f) goblets without name in the document (g) plate with incisions on the bottom without name in the document (h) tinaja (i) pitcher without name in the document (j) alcarraza (k) bottle with lid without name in the document (l) alcarraza (m) jarro pichel (n) alcarraza (o, p, q) jarros (r) sugar bowl without name in the document (s) jarro como caracol (t) jarro la hechura como negrito (u) jarro (kidney-shape bowl with an appendage on the rim modelled as a Spanish man and two handles) (v) jarro (kidney-shape bowl with a plate -or a pedestal base- and two handles on the rim viewed from the top). Figure 23. Vessel shapes made with the potter’s wheel in the valley of Mexico: (a, b) bacín (c) bacinilla (d, e) lebrillo (f) cántaro (g) tinaja (h) orza (i) jarra (j) pitchel (k) hidroceramo (botija) (l) albarelo (m, n) plato (o) taza (p) pocillo (q) escudilla (based on Deagan 1987:Fig. 4.1). Figure 24. Process of clay preparation in Amozoc. Figure 25. Process of clay preparation in Huasca (Foto by Hermann Stützle). Figure 26. Process of vessel forming by molding. Figure 27. Ollas made with two vertical halve-molds in San Juanico. Figure 28. Process of vessel forming in Metepec (Foto by Hermann Stützle). Figure 29. Process of vessel forming in San Miguel Tenextatiloyan. Figure 30. Process of vessel forming in Amozoc (Foto by Hermann Stützle). Figure 31. Small factory for fine paste ceramics in Santa Cruz Texcoco. Figure 32. Lead glazed wares from central Mexico in the market of Sonora in Mexico City (Foto by Hermann Stützle). Figure 33. Application of greta on vessel before the second firing in Amozoc (Foto by Hermann Stützle). Figure 34. Process of surface finishing of vessels in Los Reyes Metzontla. Figure 35. Process of firing in Metepec (Foto by Hermann Stützle). Figure 36. Decoration of ollas in San Miguel Tenextatiloyan. Figure 37. Methods and styles of decoration in: (a) Amozoc (b) Metepec (c) Santa Cruz Texcoco (d) Santa María Canchesdá (e) Huasca and (f) Santiago Coachochitlan. Figure 38. Shapes of vessels made in Santa Cruz Texcoco. Figure 39. Cazuelas for mole during drying in a workshop in Amozoc. Figure 40. Ollas for piñatas in San Juanico. Figure 41. Artesanías manufactured in Los Reyes Metzontla. List of Maps Map 1. Map from central Mexico showing the places mentioned in the text. Map 2. Map from the valley of Mexico showing the places mentioned in the text. List of Tables Table 1. Indigenous vessels’ nomenclature in Nahuatl, English and Spanish registered in the tenth book of the Florentine codex (Sahagún 1961, X:83).
