Paper short abstract:

The production, distribution and patronage of ivory and "light" sculpture in New Spain, considering its resemblance with parallel sculpture traditions within the viceroyalty, Italy and northern Europe as well as its European antecedents.

Paper long abstract:

Within the two main commercial routes that united New Spain with Europe and Asia, the study of religious sculpture can help to better define cultural exchange through the study of patronage, morphological loans and production (definition, circulation and appropriation of artistic techniques). The route of the Galeón de Manila that departed from Phillipines and arrived to Acapulco in the Pacific side of Mexico brought ivory sculptures for the American and European markets. The Flota de las Indias that departed from the port of Veracruz arriving to Cadiz or Seville imported "Light" sculptures, mainly for a Spanish market. This two sorts of sculpture, one carved on ivory and the other mainly molded and modeled with paper and corn with pieces of carved wood followed an almost "industrialized" production before its exportation. In both cases, material has been an invaluable resource to pinpoint its origins and understand its success although there are other aspects (related to their production and patronage) that differentiate them. We would like to create a dialogue between these two diverse sculptural traditions because they both reached wide markets. Ivory was specially valued in New Spain as can be seen at the importance given to these pieces in private and public places such as the cathedral of Puebla where ivory sculptures crowned the choir entrance and the bishop`s seat. Unlike the production of ivory sculpture whose specialization resembles the guilds production of Flanders, the exportation of light sculpture made of corn and paper cannot be fully understood without taking into account individual patrons.