The Colonial Andes: Tapestries and Silverwork, 1530–1830

Phipps, Elena, Johanna Hecht, and Cristina Esteras Martín, with contributions by Thomas B. F. Cummins, Sabine MacCormack, Frank Salomon, and Luisa Elena Alcalá (2004)

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College Art Association Alfred H. Barr Jr. Book Award, Winner (2006)

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Description

When the Spanish landed on the coast of what is today Peru in 1532, they encountered the socially complex, artistically vibrant Inca Empire, whose vast, geographically diverse domain encompassed almost the entire length of the rugged Andes. Inca master weavers and metalsmiths, building on thousands of years of local artisanal mastery, had created a spectacular body of imperial art whose bold, mostly geometric designs were powerful expressions of Inca identity and sovereignty. Within one generation that culture had been forever transformed by the establishment of the viceroyalty of Peru. The remarkable exchange of cultures that ensued brought Europe and the New World together through a vibrant trade in goods, services, and ideas, creating a unique society that was richer and far more intriguing than the mere sum of its influences.

Tapestry weaving and silverwork, for centuries two of the primary art forms in the Andes, flourished during the colonial era, as many highly skilled indigenous artists were inspired by exotic new design sources form around the world. The refined weaving methods the Inca had cultivated were put to use crafting all manner of textile goods, from grand armorial hangings to meticulously woven garments, bedcovers and carpets. SIlverwork, too, was transformed, especially after the discovery of great lodes of the precious metal in the mountains above the town of Potosí, in modern Bolivia. Native metalworkers and European immigrant silversmiths alike struggled to keep pace with commissions, which included every variety of domestic object—from ewers, trays and basins to incense burners—as well as ecclesiastical pieces, such as the elaborate monstrances used to display the consecrated Host during Mass.

Of the many dramatic changes brought about in Andean daily life and art during the viceregal period, none had as profound or lasting an impact as the introduction of Christianity. The patronage of the Roman Catholic Church, one of the most powerful forces in viceregal society, is still evident in the majestic cathedrals and churches of major cities such as Arequipa, Lima, and Cuzco, whose treasuries abound with beautifully worked liturgical vessels and implements, and in the many convents and smaller parishes scattered about the Peruvian and Bolivian countryside. Perhaps nowhere was the Baroque grandeur of colonial Peru more evident than in Cuzco, the former Inca capital, especially during the festival of Corpus Christi. This annual celebration evolved into a spectacular procession that was, in effect, a showcase for civic allegiance, Christian devotion, and material wealth.

This unique volume illustrates and discusses in detail more than 160 extraordinary fine and decorative art works of the colonial Andes, including examples of the intricate Inca weavings and metalwork that preceded the colonial era as well as a few of the remarkably inventive forms this art took after independence from Spain. An international array of scholars and experts examines the cultural context, aesthetic pre-occupations, and diverse themes of art from the viceregal period, particularly the florid patternings and the fanciful beasts and hybrid creatures that have come to characterize colonial Andean art.

Table of contents

Director's Foreword by Philippe de Montebello
Acknowledgments
Lenders to the Exhibition
Contributors to the Catalogue
Maps
Sponsor's Statement

Inca Heritage

Silver Threads and Golden Needles: The Inca, the Spanish, and the Sacred World of Humanity
Thomas F. Cummins

Garments and Identity in the Colonial Andes
Elena Phipps

The Viceroyalty of Peru

The Past is Present: Transformation and Persistence of Imported Ornament in Viceregal Peru
Johanna Hecht

Acculturation and Innovation in Peruvian Viceregal Silverwork
Cristina Esteras Martin

Cumbi to Tapestry: Collection, Innovation, and Transformation of the Colonial Andean Tapestry Tradition
Elena Phipps

Religion and Society in Inca and Spanish Peru
Sabine MacCormack

Andean Opulence: Indigenous Ideas about Wealth in Colonial Peru
Frank Salomon

Catalogue
Bibliography
Index
Photography and Reproduction Credits

About the authors

Elena Phipps is Conservator in the Department of Textile Conservation, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Johanna Hecht is Associate Curator in the Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Cristina Esteras Martin is Profesor Titular, Universidad Complutense, Madrid.

Press reviews

Colonial Latin American Review

"... beautifully illustrated ... The catalogue entries are unusually comprehensive, including analysis of materials and techniques, form and iconography, cultural and historical significance, collection and publication history, and comparative works. ... a complex and provocative exploration of the processes and products of aesthetic and cultural interaction in colonial Peru. This catalogue will be an invaluable resource for Andeanists but it should also serve as an inspiring model for scholars and students interested in the arts of colonial and multicultural societies around the world."

Britain Bulletin of Publications

"... superlative volume ... It should be emphasized that the scholarly descriptions of the tapestries and silverware go much beyond what is normally found in an exhibition catalogue, and to some extent compensate those readers who were unable to visit the exhibition itself."

The New York Times Book Review

"... fascinating ..."

Choice Reviews Online

"... the text is illuminating and the color illustrations are a visual treat."

Press release

The Colonial Andes: Tapestries and Silverwork, 1530–1830

Posted in Summer, 2004

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Central and Southern Andes, 1400–1600 A.D.

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Iberian Peninsula, 1600–1800 A.D.

South America, 1600–1800 A.D.

Exhibition

The Colonial Andes: Tapestries and Silverwork, 1530 1830

The arrival of the Spanish in 1532 in South America dramatically transformed the Andean cultural landscape, changing societies that had evolved over thousands of years within less than one generation. The arts, however, continued to thrive amid the upheavals, and they preserved an unspoken dialogue between Andean and European artistic traditions. This exhibition of more than 175 works of art focuses on two uniquely rich and inherently Andean art forms that flourished during the colonial period, presenting the finest examples of Inca and colonial garments and tapestries, as well as ritual and domestic silverwork. Their juxtaposition, together with a select group of important colonial paintings and other related objects, drawn from museums, churches, and private collections in South America, Europe, and the United States, documents the creative vitality of the complex Andean culture that developed after the Conquest.

Among the highlights of the exhibition is a group of recently discovered silver objects and little-known tapestries from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Featured are a number of unusually detailed silver vessels, including one of a number portraying scenes of sixteenth-century Andean life. These document the transition from Inca to viceregal style—that were recovered from the Spanish fleet vessel Nuestra Señora de Atocha, which was shipwrecked off the coast of Florida in 1622 (Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society, Key West, and private collections). The exhibition also presents a tapestry of The Creation of Eve, from a rare series produced by native Andean weavers under the patronage of the Jesuit Order. Vividly illustrating Old Testament scenes, the series demonstrates the introduction of European narratives into the culture of the Andes (Círculo de Armas, Buenos Aires).