Catalogue-Cock Fighting Folding Screen

Cock Fight Folding Screen

17th Century

Mexico

Lacquered wood with gold decoration and paint

Alvear Zubira Private Collection

Biombos (folding screens) are luxurious decorative art furniture, which gained popularity during the Spanish rule of Mexico (New Spain). It is an adapted Mexican folding screen, inspired by its Japanese counterpart, “byōbu”. Its versatility and practicality as a mutable object enables it to shield the users from the wind and subdivided domestic spaces. Due to New Spain’s privileged position in international trade and its stopover at Manila, Philippines through the Manila Galleon trade from the East, it was with such ease that Chinese and Japanese objects could be disseminated from Spain’s Asian colonies to Europe. It was ignited by Mexico City’s exposure to “byōbu” in the 1614 before it was quickly translated into their own local artistic language and slowly finding its own space and status in the homes of the nobility. Significantly, the gifting of ten “beautifully woven with gold” biombos from Shogun Ieyasu to Viceroy Velasco in 1614 lends it name to its prestigious and esteemed furnishing objects.

Trade not only had a far-reaching impact on the creation of the New Spanish culture and materials but also facilitated the moving of people, namely artisans. It was postulated that Christianized Chinese artists in Manila or Macao made these Asian furniture before making its way to New Spain. It is possible these artisans travelled as slaves, passengers in those galleons that depart from Manila annually or part of the delegation unit of Japanese diplomatic committees that stopover in New Spain in early 17^th century. Notably, some of them remained in the viceroyalty after converting to Christianity, fearing persecution in their homeland. Also, it is contended that a number of these Chinese and Japanese lived near to the embassy where they are able to construct biombos.

Material wise, Artisans first constructed these biombos using wood and later canvas. Some Eastern artists were able to impart their technical skills to the villagers whom later would pioneer the early local production of its own folding screens in New Spain, manufacturing both imitated and translated biombos from Asia. Evidently in the exhibition piece of “Cock Fight Folding Screen”, the Eastern artisans established in New Spain or others trained by them made those pieces, as they are able to articulate and emulate the creation of the nanban lacquer as seen from the Japanese influenced gold painted nanban clouds. Japan’s Nanban art of the 16^th and 17^th centuries had its affinity with Spain as the ‘southern barbarians’; missionaries from Portugal and Spain developed it. Its distinct linear perspective, juxtaposition with alternative materials such as lacquer and juxtaposition of foreign subject matter of people fashioned in various styles of clothes could be seen in this exhibition piece. Commonly labeled as a Chinese-style (Achinado) furnishing, it does not fully represent the Chinese aesthetic or skills as the vast population were unable to discern the work’s origins by carelessly deducing it is considered just Chinese. Therefore, these biombos became a melting pot of mixed Asian traditions and aesthetics. As furniture, these Asian influences depicted are seen as mere décor as it does not convey the symbolism and context by the Eastern artists as subject matters are typically misunderstood.

However, one shall not dismiss its importance as a decorative white elephant in the palaces and mansions of the aristocratic, it displays the hybrid qualities of the New Spanish material culture with its unparalleled representation of the viceroyalty elite’s tastes and interests. Stirred by their need of having status symbols having seen countless possibilities abroad with exotic Eastern objects, such luxury products consolidated their standing in this newly formed society. These accessible folding screens mimic the European style of wall hangings, acquiring its narrative quality. For example, the elevated, panoramic view of the city is seen from the king’s perspective and further replicated in the viewer’s own gaze of that arranged space, serving more than a static imagery. This shows the clear blend of western and eastern influences that to suit one’s aesthetic and the narrative symbolism behind the furnishing such as the biombos.

Bibliography

Mundy, B. (2011). Moteuczoma Reborn Biombo Paintings and Collective Memory in Colonial Mexico City. Winterthur Portfolio. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezlibproxy1.ntu.edu.sg/stable/10.1086/661559?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=Biombo&searchUri=/action/doBasicSearch?Query=Biombo&acc=on&wc=on&fc=off&group=none

Sanabrais, S. (2015, November 14). The Influence of Japanese Art on Colonial Mexican Painting. Retrieved from http://unframed.lacma.org/2012/01/12/the-influence-of-japanese-art-on-colonial-mexican-painting

Schreffler, M. (2004). ‘No Lord without Vassals, nor Vassals without a Lord’: The Royal Palace and the Shape of Kingly Power in Viceregal Mexico City. Oxford Art Journal, 27(2), 157-171. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezlibproxy1.ntu.edu.sg/stable/20107974?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=Biombo&searchUri=/action/doBasicSearch?Query=Biombo&acc=on&wc=on&fc=off&group=none&seq=12#page_scan_tab_

Zapatero, A. (2010). Chinese and Japanese influence on colonial Mexican furniture: The achinado folding screens.

Revised Version-Work Label ‘Cock Fight Folding Screen’

Object: Cock Fight Folding Screen, New Spain, 17th Century

Object label

Cock Fight Folding Screen

17th Century

Mexico

Lacquered wood with gold decoration and paint

The Folding Screen (Biombo), with its Chinese-style (Achinado) aesthetics were highly sought after by the officials, settlers of New Spain, emerging from the conquest and colonisation of the continent. They were able to consolidate their positions with such status symbol objects. These accessible biombos in New Spain imitated the European style of wall hangings and assumed their narrative element. Forming part of a New Spanish material culture with its highly valued Asian origin, artisans made a conscious and selective appropriation of its Asian elements to give it a new meaning.

Cock fight is a favourite traditional pastime, deeply entrenched in Mexican, Spanish and Chinese cultures. The focus on the cock fight is further accentuated by the concentric formation of the crowd framing the spectacle, creating an imaginary buzz. Adopting the lack of perspective and vanishing point in this Chinese screen, New Spanish buildings are juxtaposed with pagodas. In this other-worldly setting, the bridge with two pipes that intersected the mountain on the grove of poplar trees creates the illusory of the capital of the New Spain. Clad in European dresses, kimonos with their hair dressed in long pigtails, human figures dotted the landscape. Gold nanban clouds are placed contrastingly to create hidden visual directions to its entirety. This folding screen illustrates a representation of Mexico City in an Oriental environment, framed by a mix of Asiatic and New Spanish architectural elements.

231 words

Zapatero, A. (2010). Chinese and Japanese influence on colonial Mexican furniture: The achinado folding screens.

Lecture Research (additional)

Two weeks ago, Prof. Sujatha briefly mentioned about attempted assassination of Queen Elizabeth with a poisoned dress. Although the poisoned dress was mentioned in the fictional film, I was really intrigued by it. Although the film depiction is fictional, I am still curious about how it works. Coincidentally, I have chanced upon an article by Hyperallergic Facebook on ‘Fatal Victorian Fashion & the Allure of the Poison Garment’. This article was written in relation to the exhibition at Toronto’s Bata Shoe Museum called, ‘Fashion Victims: The Pleasures and Perils of Dress in the 19^th century’.

They took their collection of ‘poison garment’ to a physics lab to test for their lethality. There is a possibility of poisoning someone through an extended period of time unknowingly with large dosage of arsenic, mercury disguised as colour pigments in clothes.

Emerald Green Dress (1860 to 1865), English or French

In the past, the pigment green is created by using an overlay of the colours blue and yellow. Thus, Carl Wilhelm Scheele invented the colour, Scheele’s Green (cupric hydrogen arsenite) in 1775 to dye cotton and linen. ‘Emerald Green’ was incredibly popular in artificial flowers, thus increasing its demand.

This dress, like most Victorian pieces, could be worn during the day and night with its style of both a low-cut bodice (evening wear) and buttoned-up bodice (daytime). This shows the elasticity of the “Emerald Green” colour as it was able to retain its bright colours in both natural and new gas lighting. The arsenic contents of the green pigment can be metabolised, releasing the poisonous arsine gas. It is highly toxic and has carcinogenic effects.

Due to its popularity in dyeing artificial flowers, flower wreathes from that period were also dyed with arsenic pigments.

Also used in other products:

Death as a lethal confectioner making up sweets
Credit: Wellcome Library, London. Wellcome Images

Despite its high toxicity, Scheele’s Green was also used as a food dye for sweets. For example, the green blancmange sweet was a favourite amongst traders in the 19th century Greenock.

Effects of arsenic poisoning:

The effect of arsenic poisoning on the human stomach.
Credit: Wellcome Library, London. Wellcome Images

It can be absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract (highly toxic).

Accidents caused by the use of green arsenic, 1859

Another example:

Beaver fur hat, groomed to look like silk, still containing amounts of Mercury, Swiss (1885–1925) (Collection of the Bata Shoe Museum, photograph by Ron Wood)

It was not until the 1730s that mercury began to be used in the making of beaver top hats.

I was able to understand the gravity of such toxic pigments and chemicals in garments that people of that period willingly put on in pursue of fashion and trends even as the hazards of such pigments were exposed to them at the end of the 19th century. It is also not difficult to kill someone with garments.

References:

http://www.batashoemuseum.ca/fashion-victims/

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/04/01/corsets-muslin-disease-and-more-of-the-deadly-fashion-trends.html

https://roadtrippers.com/stories/this-victorian-era-clothing-exhibit-is-to-die-for-literally?lat=40.80972&lng=-96.67528&z=5

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheele%27s_Green

http://hyperallergic.com/133571/fatal-victorian-fashion-and-the-allure-of-the-poison-garment/

Team 9 Research and Object Label

Object has been revised to further illustrate the assimilation of Western and Asian influences. The object chosen is still a folding screen.

Object: Cock Fight Folding Screen, New Spain, 17th Century

Research on object

The worldwide trade of furniture such as folding screens (biombos) with achinado (Chinese-like) style is achieved through the consolidation of maritime route between the Philippines and New Spain after 1565 permitted the arrival on the American continent of enormous quantities of merchandise from India, China and Japan. In 1582, Philip II restricted commerce with Philippines exclusively to New Spain (colonial Mexico), prohibiting such interaction with the rest of the American territories, reinforcing colonial Mexico’s central role as the commercial link with Asia. It also became the principal market for goods dispatched from the port of Cavite. Biombos were a small scale yet habitual commodity among the shipments sent to New Spain yearly.

Folding screens were not seen as ordinary merchandise as its success in the transoceanic trade and its constant presence throughout the 17th and 18th centuries could be seen evidently with the Crown’s intention to regulate folding screens. Taxes were to be levied on the trade in folding screens. Folding screens are not only acquired for personal home possessions but were also gifts transported as adornment in the Japanese embassies as they are revered as prestigious and distinguished objects. Also, folding screens became an indispensable element among the property and belongings of the wealthy families in the viceroyalty.

Theories have deduced that the stylistic techniques used in the production of biombos were introduced by the foreign populations. Tesso Castello contends that some of the Chinese and Japanese people in New Spain remained in close proximity to the embassy were artisans who began to construct furniture and biombos, first using wood then later switching to canvas. Other theories consisted of pieces were made by Chinese or Japanese people established in the viceroyalty in New Spain trained by Eastern teachers.

Object label

Cock Fight Folding Screen

17th Century

Mexico

Lacquered wood with gold decoration and paint

The Folding Screen (Biombo), with its Chinese-style (Achinado) aesthetics were highly sought after by the officials, settlers of New Spain, emerging from the conquest and colonization of the continent. They were able to consolidate their positions with such status symbol objects. These accessible biombos in New Spain imitated the European style of wall hangings and assumed their narrative element. Forming part of a New Spanish material culture with its highly valued Asian origin, artisans made a conscious and selective appropriation of its Asian elements to give it a new meaning. This folding screen illustrates a representation of Mexico City in an Oriental environment, framed by a mix of Asiatic and New Spanish architectural elements.

Zapatero, A. (2010). Chinese and Japanese influence on colonial Mexican furniture: The achinado folding screens.

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