Description
Book Synopsis"Maya Stanfield-Mazzi’s well-researched and thoughtful monograph, full of new material, is the first cultural and technical history of ecclesiastical textiles—imported, locally produced, or a combination of the two—highlighting the ways in which Indigenous artisans participated in outfitting the church." —Latin American and Latinx Visual Culture
Trade Review“Although there are several studies on pre-Columbian textiles, this is the first book I am aware of that deals with colonial textile arts. Clothing the New World Church allows for comparisons between different native traditions, colonial economies, and church styles.” —Andrés I. Prieto, author of Missionary Scientists
"Stanfield-Mazzi celebrates the vibrant transformation of Amerindian and European textile traditions crafted for a Spanish American Church that was 'shrouded in cloth.' Her insightful, fully documented Clothing the New World Church analyzes the fabrics’ materiality and techne, their warp and weft serving as an appropriate metaphor for a remarkable transatlantic synthesis." —Jeanette F. Peterson, author of The Paradise Garden Murals of Malinalco
"Maya Stanfield-Mazzi’s book provides the first broad survey of church textiles of Spanish America, demonstrating that, while overlooked, textiles were a vital part of visual culture in the Catholic Church." —Trebuchet
"Maya Stanfield-Mazzi provides the first comprehensive survey of church adornment with textiles, addressing how these works helped establish Christianity in Spanish America and expand it over four centuries. Including more than 180 photos, the book examines both imported and indigenous textiles used in the church, compiling works that are now scattered around the world and reconstructing their original contexts." —American Catholic Studies Newsletter
"In five generous chapters dealing with different types of textiles extensively used in churches across the Americas . . . the author provides not only an overview of the richness and diversity of the liturgical textiles produced and consumed during the early modern period, but also offers detailed discussions of pieces that despite their unique qualities have often been left out from larger discussions of contemporaneous artistic production." —caa.reviews
"This is a beautifully produced book of value to nonspecialist colonial historians and textile scholars, who will learn much about the social and cultural context in which church textiles were produced." —Hispanic American Historical Review
"Clothing the New World Church is a powerhouse of original fieldwork and incorporation of literature in art history, textiles history and Church history." —Bulletin of Latin American Research
Table of ContentsIntroduction
1. Woven Silk
2. Embroidery
3. Featherwork
4. Tapestry
5. Painted Cotton and Cotton Lace
6. Conclusion
Glossary of Liturgical and Textile Terms
