Yale University Library

39002039587812

I Hraaij Garvarr
COIXECHON of AMERICANA
FRANCIS EAIKICK GARVAN, RA,i897
T-'VciCe ^Iniversity^-)
.SCHOOL OF THE FINE ARTS, '

CATALOGUE OF
MEXICAN MAIOLICA 1 11
BELONGING TO
MRS. ROBERT W. DE FOREST
EXHIBITED BY
THE HISPANIC SOCIETY OF AMERICA
FEBRUARY 18 TO MARCH 19, 1911
BY
EDWIN ATLEE BARBER, PH.D.
Director of the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art

THE HISPANIC SOCIETY OF AMERICA
1S6TH STREET, WEST OF BROADWAY
NEW YORK, 1911

gs**

fK - '"-^i'"-'-'-'-

l'air of water jars. Polychrome Decoration
Made at Puebla, Mexico, about 1800
(Sec Nos. 73 and 72)

CATALOGUE OF
MEXICAN MAIOLICA
BELONGING TO
MRS. ROBERT W. DE FOREST
EXHIBITED BY
THE HISPANIC SOCIETY OF AMERICA
FEBRUARY 18 TO MARCH 19, 1911
BY
EDWIN ATLEE BARBER, PH.D.
Director of the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art

THE HISPANIC SOCIETY OF AMERICA
156th STREET, WEST OF BROADWAY
NEW YORK, 1911

Copyright, 1911, by
The Hispanic Society of America

MEXICAN MAIOLICA

MEXICAN MAIOLICA

INTRODUCTORY NOTES
THE glazing of earthenware with oxid of tin is
now believed to be of Saracenic origin, having
first been introduced into Egypt and Persia by the
Arabs, who afterward carried the art into Morocco,
whence it was taken by the Moors into Spain. Work
men who went from Spain to Italy established the art
in the latter country. It next appeared in France, at
Nevers and other places, and soon after in Holland
and Germany, gradually spreading to almost every
section of the Continent and into England.
It was not known to ceramic writers until five or
six years ago that tin-enameled pottery had ever been
produced in the Western Hemisphere. Isolated ex
amples of maiolica had been brought back by Ameri
can tourists in Mexico from time to time, but these
were supposed to be of Spanish workmanship and
were known as Talavera ware. Writers have fre-
C 3 3

quently described the elaborate, and often remarkable,
tile-work of the old churches, convents, and other
religious foundations of that country, with scarcely a
thought as to its origin. Recent investigations, how
ever, have resulted in the discovery that true stanni
ferous faience was made in Mexico by Spanish pot
ters and their native pupils as early as the sixteenth
century, and continued to be produced on a consider
able scale until the present time. The ancient seat of
the manufacture was Puebla, and for more than three
centuries that city enjoyed a monopoly of the maiolica
industry. Puebla, or La Puebla de los Angeles (the Town of
the Angels), was founded as a new city by the Span
iards in 1532. At the beginning of the seventeenth
century its manufactures of cotton, wool, glassware,
and pottery had been firmly established and were
famed throughout New and Old Spain. Unglazed
pottery had been produced by native workmen since
the time of the Conquest, but glazing was not intro
duced until potters were brought from Spain. Consul-
General A. M. Gottschalk, lately of Mexico City, in a
recent report to the State Department at Washington,
states : "In the earl}' days of Puebla's history the
Dominican friars, struck by the aptitude of their Az
tec parishioners at making crude native potteiy, and
C 4 3

desirous also of obtaining tiles for the monastery and
church which they were building, sent word to the
Dominican establishment at Talavera de la Reina, in
the province of Toledo, Spain, that they could make
good use of five or six of the brotherhood who were
acquainted with the Spanish process of pottery-mak
ing, if such could be sent to them. Accordingly, a
number of Dominican friars, familiar with the clay-
working processes in use at Talavera, were assigned
to the Puebla house of their order, and under them
were trained a generation of workmen who for the
first few succeeding years produced some excellent
pieces." By 1653 the maiolica industry of Puebla had grown
to such proportions, without restriction of any sort,
that it became advisable to organize an association
for the mutual protection and assistance of the mas
ter potters. Accordingly, a Potters' Guild was estab
lished in this year, records of which have been found
among the official archives of the city. The laws
which were adopted regulated the preparation of
clays and glazes, the qualities of the different grades
of pottery, the character of the decorations, the sizes
of household utensils, and the sale of wares, and re
quired the marking of each piece with the initials or
monogram of the maker, penalties being provided
C 5 3

for the counterfeiting or falsification of the trade
marks. The first examiners of the guild (in 1653), before
whom every applicant was required to appear to prove
his qualifications and eligibility to membership, were
Diego Salvador Carreto, Damian Hernandez, and
Andres de Haro. A few years later (apparently in
1662) Antonio Marques of Santillana, Spain, one
Roque of Talavera, Spain, and Jose Ramos, master
potters of Puebla, represented the guild in petitioning
the city to turn over to that organization the originals
of the laws relating to the trade, and setting forth the
rights, privileges, and obligations of the members.
These decrees remained in force until 1676 and
possibly later. After the latter date, however, the
organization appears to have languished, since no sub
sequent record has been discovered in the books of the
corporation of the city, and the provisions for the
protection of the craft were apparently no longer en
forced. Several influences were at work in the seventeenth
century in developing the art of maiolica-making in
Mexico. The earliest pieces which are known to us,
produced before 1700, are embellished with strap-
work and scrolled patterns in Moresque style. An
excellent example of this variety, from the lavatory

of the old convent of San Francisco at Atlixco, is a
laver, or basin, some twenty inches in diameter, dec
orated in dark blue outlined with black, now in the
collection of the Pennsylvania Museum in Phila
delphia. A similar specimen, owned in Mexico, bears
around the margin the explanatory inscription, "Soy
para labar los sacryfycadores y no mas" ("I am for
washing the sacrificers [hands] and for nothing
else"). The most important work of this character,
however, is probably the dado in the Chapel of the
Rosary, belonging to the Church of Santo Domingo
in Puebla (erected in 1690), which consists of tin-
enameled tiles painted with a strapwork design in blue
and white, alternating with panels of other tiles em
bossed with patterns in Moorish taste.
The Spanish influence naturally impressed itself
upon the glazed pottery of Mexico at an early date,
through the craftsmen who were brought from Tala
vera and other places in Spain. From about 1600 to
1650 the Spanish style of painting, by which we mean
the introduction of birds and animals and figures of
saints among the decorative motives, largely prepon
derated. But about the middle of the seventeenth cen
tury the extensive importation of Chinese porcelains
into Mexico, through the port of Acapulco, began to
stimulate the artistic zeal of the Pueblan potters, who

soon commenced to imitate the Oriental forms and
paintings, and rapidly developed a pseudo-Chinese
style, which continued until about the middle of the
following century.
By the beginning of the nineteenth century the Chi
nese influence had entirely disappeared, and the later
debased polychrome style of the Talavera maiolica,
which was developed in Spain in the latter part of the
eighteenth century, was adopted in Mexico, which
marked the beginning of the decadence of the artV
New colors were introduced, and the products of the
Hispano-Mexican period, which continued from
about 1800 to i860, became gaudy and flamboyant,
and over-decoration vulgarized the ware.
Since this art was introduced into Mexico by the
priesthood, we may naturally expect to find in the
ecclesiastical edifices of that country the best work of
the early craftsmen. Here were placed the most in
tricate designs in tile-work, such as friezes and panels,
made to fill special orders ; entire facades of churches
and convents were covered with tiles in the most
elaborately executed patterns ; tile-incrusted domes in
many colors were often surrounded by glazed stat
uettes; wall mosaics of great size were painted with
scriptural and legendary scenes; extensive lavatories
with enormous maiolica basins beautifully decorated
C 8 ^

were erected for the use of the clergy ; baptismal and
holy-water fonts, and services for the tables of the
convents and other religious houses, were produced in
great abundance.
Having executed the more pressing orders of the
priests, the potters were free to supply the needs of
the people, and vast quantities of articles were pro
duced for household use, such as bath-tubs or cisterns,
covered dishes, bowls, basins, benitiers, inkstands,
sand-sprinklers, salt-cellars, candlesticks, and large
jars for storing liquids, vanilla, chocolate, and other
foods. Among the objects most frequently met with
are tall, cylindrical vessels, of the form of the Spanish
and Italian albarelli, which were used to hold drugs,
but more frequently served as receptacles for cut
flowers, which have always been cultivated in great
profusion by the Mexicans, and jardinieres and
flower-pots in the forms of barrels and urns, for
growing plants, which were placed in the gardens or
set on the balconies around the four sides of the
patios, or inner courts.
The dwellings of the wealthier classes were fre
quently beautified, both externally and internally,
with tile-work of attractive designs and colorings.
Panels painted with figures of saints, coats of arms,
and inscriptions were set in the walls of apartments
C 9 J

and staircases and over the entrances to the courts.
In many of the cemeteries tiles were also used in the
ornamentation of graves and tombstones. Some of
these, painted with figures of saints, may still be
found in place.
We learn from the records of the Potters' Guild,
preserved in the archives of the city of Puebla, that
three varieties of pottery were fabricated, "the fine,
the common, and the yellow, such as jars, pots, vases,
pans, strainers, etc." It was decreed that "no one
can manufacture pottery, either fine or common, with
out passing the examination required in the kind of
pottery he expects to make. He may only make the
kind in whose manufacture he is examined, unless
perchance his examination has been on all."
It was also specified that the fine pottery should be
''painted in blue and finished in black with dots along
the borders and edges, . . . and, in order that there
may be variety, the other style of decoration for
this fine ware shall be in imitation of the Talavera
ware, or figures and designs in colors. . . . Also in
making the fine wares the coloring should be in imi
tation of the Chinese ware, very blue, finished in the
same style and with relief-work in bine."
A critical examination of the collections of Puebla
pottery which are accessible to us enables us to divide

-Blue monochrome.

these wares into four classes, based on their distinctive
forms and characteristic decorations, as follows :
i. The Moresque style
2. The Spanish, or Talavera, style
3. The Chinese style
4. The Hispano-Mexican, or 1
t-. . . , , ^Polychrome.
Pueblan, style J J
These varieties may be roughly separated into two
groups, the first being composed of those examples
which were produced previous to 1800, which were
decorated in blue; the second consisting of those
pieces which were made during the nineteenth cen
tury, which were painted in various colors. The blue
color was thickly applied and stands out in perceptible
relief, a peculiarity which enables the collector to dis
tinguish the Mexican maiolica from the Spanish,
which latter was always painted with thin, flat pig
ments. In the Hispanized, or Talavera, style, of the second
class, the Italian influence can occasionally be traced.
It is known that maiolists went from Italy to Spain
in the seventeenth century, and it is not surprising
that the pottery of Talavera and other maiolica cen
ters of the latter country should present certain re
semblances to the productions of Savona and Genoa.
C"3

The characteristics of the early Talavera wares of
Spain are the absence of metallic lusters, which were
so prominent a feature in the products of Malaga and
Valencia, and the prevalence of blue color in the white
enamel of the ground. Animal, bird, and human
forms were introduced, in combination with foliated
and floriated ornaments, frequently crowded together
without regard to position or fitness. In the earlier
Mexican maiolica of the Talavera period these pecu
liarities are strongly marked. The influence of the
Malaga or Valencia potters does not appear to have
penetrated into Mexico, since no lustered pieces have
yet been found among the fabrications of Puebla.
Although these four modes of execution, which
received their inspiration from widely divergent
sources, were well marked, they were frequently com
bined in the same pieces. AVhile, on the one hand,
we find examples which in form and design are con
sistently Spanish, or Oriental, in spirit, on the other,
we meet with objects of Chinese shape with ornamen
tation in Moorish, Spanish, or, occasionally, Aztec
taste, the latter having been introduced by Indian ap
prentices. Large bowls and barrel-shaped jardinieres
of Spanish form are frequently decorated in the Chi
nese manner. It is owing to these almost limitless
variations and combinations of modeling and decora-
D-0

tive treatment that the study of Mexican maiolica
possesses such absorbing interest and presents so
many surprises to the ceramic student.
The Talavera style of Mexican pottery is of at least
two distinct varieties. The earliest is that to which
we have applied the term tattooed, in which the
ground is thickly set with rudely painted dots and
dashes in dark blue, interspersed with small animal
motives surrounding the principal decorative designs,
a style which flourished between about 1 660 and 1 700.
A peculiarity of this treatment is the depressed ap
pearance of the tattooed ornamentation, the color
having sunk into the surface of the white enamel.
Next in chronological order is the characteristic
decoration, found principally on albarelli and spheri
cal jars, in which birds, flowers, and conventional
devices are boldly, but rudely, painted in silhouette, in
solid, raised dark blue, a method of treatment which
was in vogue from about 1700 to 1750.
Of the third class, painted in blue monochrome or
camaieu, in Chinese taste, four different styles may be
distinguished. The first of these is characterized by
solid dark-blue grounds, thickly applied, surrounding
figure designs reserved in the white surface. The
second variety, treated in the opposite manner, is
embellished with Chinese figure subjects painted on
1^1

the white surface. The third style shows European
figure motives, usually combined with Oriental de
tails, while the fourth consists of alternate white
and blue medallions of irregular form, ornamented
with floral and conventional patterns, painted on the
white field, and reserved in the blue.
The rules for the government of the members of
the Potters' Guild, which flourished in Puebla in the
seventeenth century, throw much light on the com
position of the early wares. The glaze for fine
pottery contained four and one-sixth parts of lead
to one of tin, a somewhat less proportion of the lat
ter ingredient than is used by the modern Pueblan
potters. In consequence of the greater care exer
cised in the preparation of materials, however, the
glaze of the older ware is more even and homogen
eous than that of the present-day maiolica. For the
common wares the glaze consisted of twelve and a
half parts of lead to one of tin. Since the lead was
incorporated with the tin before the composition was
applied to the ware, the enamel is homogeneous and
so hard that it can only with difficulty be scratched
with a steel point.
A careful study of the body of Puebla maiolica
reveals the fact that the clays employed were ap
parently of two kinds, white and red. These two

varieties will be found to occur in the earliest pieces
as well as those of recent date. The white body is
much softer than the red, the difference in color
being caused by the degree of heat to which the ware
was subjected at the first firing, or the length of time
it was allowed to remain in the kiln. When baked
slightly the clay appears white and porous, and so
soft that it can be readily cut with a knife ; but when
allowed to remain longer in the kiln, at a high
temperature, it becomes partially vitrified and con
siderably harder, and of a deep pink or reddish hue,
increasing in density with the darkening of the color.
Thus the tint of the body bears no relation to the
antiquity of the ware, nor does it indicate the locality
from which the clay was obtained.1 It is true that
two varieties of clay are used — white clay obtained
at San Bartolo, San Pedro, and Santo Tomas, hills
near the village of Totomehuacan, five kilometers
from Puebla, and red clay from Loreto and Guada
lupe, in the vicinity of Puebla; but these are always
combined in equal parts to produce the results de-
1 It is a curious fact, however, that many of the best pieces of the
earlier ware were only slightly fired and, as a result, possess a
light-colored body, which in some instances is almost as soft as
chalk, but is always covered with a hard enamel. The larger
and coarser pieces were usually burned more thoroughly and are
consequently more vitreous and of a darker tint beneath the glaze.
^5 3

sired. It is stated that no other combination of clays
is employed and that neither the red nor the white
clay can be used alone with satisfactory results.
Since it is to be presumed that the law requiring
the marking of pottery during the existence of the
Potters' Guild in Puebla, from 1653 to 1676, was
strictly observed, we would expect to find pieces of
that period bearing the registered devices of their
makers. While early specimens of this character are
comparatively rare at this late date, numerous
marked pieces have been found. Among these pri
vate marks we find the letter F, usually on tiles
painted with human figures and animals in Chinese
taste. The representation of a bee also frequently
figures among the decorations on tiles from the
same fabrique, evidently the private device, prob
ably standing for the initial of the name, of a potter
or decorator. The letters "he" are painted in blue on
the sides of ornate jars. Enormous bowls, or basins,
sometimes bear the letters C. S. A large laver,
showing Moorish influence, is marked with a cursive
A. Among the other devices which have come to
light are a character resembling a florid y, the mono
grams and initials To, O R (the O above the R),
M A, the monograms SCo and CAo (the o over the
A) in black, the letter Z in blue, and a brown V with

the figures 6 and 8 at the ends of the arms. Some
of the more important pieces bear simple and com
plex crosses scratched in the paste or traced in blue
and extending almost entirely across the bases. All
of the dark -blue marks occur on pieces belonging to
the latter half of the seventeenth century. Those in
black and brown are found on vessels belonging to
the first half of the nineteenth century, when the
marking of pottery appears to have been revived.
In the absence of a complete list of members of the
original guild, or a directory of the potters of the
early nineteenth century, the exact significance of
these marks has not yet been determined.
Without sufficient authentic records we can only
fall back upon tradition to throw light on the extent
of the pottery industry in Mexico during the seven
teenth and eighteenth centuries. The great numbers
of early pieces which have survived would indicate
the existence of numerous establishments at differ
ent periods. Toward the middle of the seventeenth
century, according to the statements of some of the
older potters, whose ancestors for several genera
tions produced maiolica in Puebla, there were at
least ten or twelve manufacturers in that city. About
1750, when the industry had reached its height, some
thirty potteries were in operation. Bancroft, in his
D73

"History of Mexico," informs us that in 1793 there
were fifty-six establishments for the making of glass
and pottery, but that the number was reduced to
eighteen at the beginning of the nineteenth century.
Toward the middle of the century the number had
decreased to about twelve. At the present time only
six locerias are active, where the common grades of
utilitarian wares and tiles, entirely devoid of artistic
merit, are being produced. The recent demand
among collectors for early pieces, however, has en
couraged some of the manufacturers to imitate the
old designs, and more or less dangerous forgeries
are frequently met with in the curiosity-shops of
Mexico. In 1900, Senor Enrique L. Ventosa of Puebla,
who came from Barcelona, Spain, having obtained
his art education in Paris, commenced to elevate the
modern standard of the art by reviving many of
the old designs. His work is characterized by con
scientious adherence to the spirit of the originals.
He has made a thorough study of the ancient maiol
ica of Mexico, and his knowledge of the old Spanish
wares has enabled him to combine in his productions
the Mexican and Spanish methods, using the motives
which are found in both, to originate a style which,
while based on the traditions of the Mexican art, is

so distinctive in treatment that it can be recognized
without difficulty.
It is only within the past few years that the Mexi
cans themselves have commenced to recognize the
true character of the tin-enameled pottery which is
found in their country. Collectors in various parts
of the republic have, as the result of recent discov
eries, turned their attention to the gathering together
and preservation of these remains of one of the
earliest of Hispano-Mexican arts. Of these local
collections, that formed by Mr. Albert Pepper, an
architect, of the City of Mexico, has been recognized
for many years as one of the most important. In
the Pennsylvania Museum, Philadelphia, may be
seen a representative group of these early wares.
The interest in this subject, however, has not been
confined to America, for we learn that European
collectors have lately been attracted to this field of
research, and groups of Mexican maiolica have al
ready been sent to Germany, France, and England.
Mrs. Robert W. de Forest, who for many years
has been engaged in collecting the folk pottery of all
peoples, during a trip to Mexico in 1904 became in
terested in the pottery of Puebla, and at that time
gathered together the nucleus of her present collec
tion. Through the assistance of Mrs. Zelia Nuttall
CJ93

of Coyoacan, she has been able to add, from time to
time, many rare and valuable examples, and her
recent acquisition of the well-known collection of Mr.
Albert Pepper has made her collection one of the
most extensive and representative of its kind. It is
particularly rich in polychrome pieces, dating from
about 1800 to i860, of which Nos. 72, 73, 74, 75, and
116 are especially noteworthy. Among the earlier
pieces, in dark blue, special attention is called to Xos.
4, 63, and 64.
The maiolica of Mexico, crude and inartistic as it
frequently appears, possesses an element ot .manly
vigor, in the boldness of its modeling and decorative
treatment, which gives it an individuality of its own.
The reflection of the virile art of Spain, combined
with the refining influence of Oriental traditions, re
sulted in the development of a composite style of
pottery, which at its best period, between 1650 and
1750, was quite distinct from the wares produced in
any other country.
Edwin AtLee Barber.

[>3

CATALOGUE OF MEXICAN MAIOLICA
BELONGING TO
MRS. ROBERT W. DE FOREST

CATALOGUE OF
MEXICAN MAIOLICA

I
SHOWING SPANISH INFLUENCE
(a) TATTOOED STYLE
I 65O-I 7OO
1 Jar with fern leaf, bird, and animal decoration
in dark blue. Reserved white label for name.
About 1660-1680. Height 11 inches.
2 Pair of jars. Fern leaf, floral, and bird decora
tion in dark blue. Marked "h e". Reserved
white label for name. About 1 660-1 680.
Height io-Hs inches.
3 Jar with six (6) serpentine handles, fern leaf
and bird decoration in dark blue. About 1660-
1680. Height 9% inches.
4 Laver. Central figure of a woman surrounded
by fern leaf and bird designs in dark blue.
C233

Marked "h e". About 1660-1680. Diameter
20J4 inches. Plate I.
5 Plate. Decorated with the figure of a man car
rying a banner, in dark blue. About 1670.
Marked "Z". Diameter 85^ inches. Plate II.

6 Lid of jar. Fern leaf and animal decorations
(hares and fishes) in dark blue. About 1680.
Diameter 10% inches.
7 Large plate or plaque. Fern leaf, bird, animal,
and flower decoration in dark blue. About 1680.
Diameter 14 inches.

(b) SILHOUETTE AND OTHER STYLES,
IN RAISED BLUE
I 700-1800
8 Chocolate jar. Conventional and bird decora
tion. Iron collar; lid and lock missing. About
1700. Height ioj4 inches. Plate III.
9 Pair of jars. Conventional and bird decoration.
About 1700. Height 1034 inches. Plate IV.
10 Large jar. Conventional bird and floral decora
tion in dark blue. About 1700. Height 16
inches.
OH

Plate I.

Plate II.

Plate III.

Plate IV.

ii Albarello or drug jar. Conventional floral deco
ration in dark blue. Reserved white label for
name. About 1700. Height io1^ inches. Plate VII.
12 Albarello or drug jar. Conventional floral deco
ration. About 1700. Height 6^4 inches. Plate VIII.
13 Albarello or drug jar. Conventional floral and
bird decoration. About 1700. Height 6%
inches.
14 Albarello or drug jar. Conventional decoration,
palm tree, house, etc., in dark blue. Arms of
Franciscan convent in brown. About 1700-
1750. Height 8^4 inches. Plate XI.
15 Albarello or drug jar. Conventional bird and
floral decoration in dark blue. About 1700-
1750. Height 11% inches. Plate VII.
16 Albarello or drug jar. Conventional bird and
floral decoration in dark blue. About 1750.
Height io1^ inches.
The pink tint of the clay is caused by the more
thorough burning of the ware.
17 Albarello or drug jar. Bird and hare motives in
dark blue. About 1 750-1 800. Height 10 inches.
Shows traces of having been covered with sil-
C333

ver, and evidently used at one time as a flower
vase in a church or a convent. Plate IX.
18 Albarello or drug jar. Bands of conventional
decorations in dark blue. About 1750. Height
10 inches.
19 Albarello or drug jar. Bands of conventional
decorations in dark blue. About 1750. Height
lO^g inches. Plate X.
20 Albarello or drug jar. Ornamental bands with
reserved white scroll-work in blue ground.
About 1750. Height 5% inches. Plate IX.
21 Jar. Ornamental bands with reserved white
scroll-work in blue ground. About 1750. Height
6^4 inches. Plate VIII.
22 Albarello or drug jar. Fern leaf decoration in
raised blue. About 1750. Height 9% inches.
23 Albarello or drug jar. Conventional floral deco
ration in dark blue. About 1750. Height 8%
inches.
24 Albarello or drug jar. Bands of conventional
decoration in dark blue. About 1 750-1 800.

Height io§4 inches

¦&

D43

Plate V.

Q^& cm » jk t
0 fl iB^»^JB5flL»

Plate VI.

27 b

?ti

<

^&w^*v

60

15

Plate VIII.

Plate IX.

25 Pair of jars. Conventional bird and floral deco
ration. About 1750-1800. Height gY2 inches.
Plate III.
26 Spherical jar. Blue decoration, with Carmelite
arms in brown, green, and orange. About 1775—
1800. Height io^4 inches. Plate V
27 Pair of barrel-shaped jardinieres. Conventional
bird and checker-board decoration in dark blue.
About 1 750-1 780. Height 13^ inches and
15^8 inches. Plates VI and XXI.
28 Cylindrical jar. Conventional decoration in dark
blue. About 1750-1780. Height iol/2 inches.
Plate XII.
29 Pair of square bottles. Decorated with figures
of birds and buildings in dark blue. Nineteenth
century. Height 6}4 inches.
30 Cover of jar. Scale decoration in blue. About
1800. Diameter ii/4 inches.
31 Inkstand. Hexagonal form. Conventional floral
decoration in dark blue. About 1750. Diameter
4 inches. Plate XIII.
32 Inkstand. Hexagonal form. Conventional floral
decoration in dark blue. About 1750. Diameter
3% inches. L4S3

33 Sand-shaker. Hexagonal form. Conventional
floral decoration in dark blue. About 1750.
Diameter 3 J4 inches. Plate XIII.
34 Sand-shaker. Hexagonal form. Conventional
floral decoration in dark blue. About 1750-
1780. Diameter 3^4 inches. Plate XIII.
35 Bowl. Conventional floral decoration in dark
blue. About 1800. Height io^4 inches.
36 Albarello or drug jar. Ornamental bands in
dark blue. Carmelite arms in brown. About
1800-1825. Height 9^4 inches. Plate X.
37 Albarello or drug jar. Fern leaf decoration in
blue. About 1800-1825. Height ioT/£ inches.
38 Bowl with two (2) handles. Fern leaf decora
tion in blue. About 1 750-1800. Height 3%
inches. Plate XXXIII.
39 Basin. Conventional decoration in raised blue.
About 1800. Diameter nr)4 inches. Plate XI.
40 Plate with scalloped edge. Conventional floral
decoration. About 1800. Diameter f1 $ inches.
41 Plate with scrolled edge and fluted cavetto. Con-
C463

Plate X.

Plate XI.

Plate XII.

34 33

31

Plate XIII.

ventional floral decoration in dark blue. About
1800-1825. Diameter 8*4 inches.
42 Plate with scalloped edge. Conventional floral
decoration in blue. About 1825. Diameter 8^4
inches.
43 Large plate or plaque. Scalloped edge. Blue
border design. About 1 800-1 825. Diameter
15 inches.
44 Plate with scalloped edge. Conventional design
of building and trees in dark blue. About 1800.
Diameter 8^4 inches.
45 Covered jar with handles. Fern leaf and con
ventional floral decoration in dark blue. About
1800. Height 6 inches.
46 Bottle-shaped vase. Fern leaf, bird, and animal
motives in raised dark blue. About 1700.
Height 10^4 inches.
47 Plate. Conventional floral designs in dark blue.
About 1800. Diameter 7 inches.
48 Plate. Conventional floral designs in dark blue.
About 1800. Diameter 7% inches.

49 Albarello or drug jar. Conventional floral deco
ration in blue. About 1800. Height 7% inches.
Plate IX.
C553

50 Bowl. Conventional floral decoration in raised
dark blue. About 1750. Diameter 494 inches.
Inscribed in the bottom "Sangrias".
51 Jug with handle. Conventional decoration in
blue. About 1800. Height 8*4 inches. Plate XIV.
52 Pair of serpentine-handled cups. Conventional
floral decoration in blue. About 1800. Height
3 inches and 5 inches.
53 Bottle. Double gourd-shape. Conventional
floral decoration in blue. About 1800. Height
734 inches.
54 Benitier. Blue decoration of plants, and cross in
relief. Nineteenth century. Height j1/^ inches.
Plate XLII.
55 Benitier. Blue decoration. Nineteenth century.
Height 6^4 inches.
56 Salt-cellar. Blue decoration. About 1825.
Height 2^4 inches. Plate XV.
57 Salt-cellar. Blue decoration. About 1840.
Height 2 24 inches. Plate XV
58 Bowl. Conventional ornament in blue. About
1750-1800. Diameter 15 inches.
C56]

Plate XIV.

Plate XV.

Plate XVI.

59 Plate or dish. Decorated with conventional or
naments and mosque-shaped building in dark
blue. About 1800. Diameter 1334 inches.
60 Albarello or drug jar. Raised blue decoration.
White label for name. About 1 750-1 800.
Height 9:>4 inches. Plate VII.
61 Albarello or drug jar. Raised blue decoration.
White label for name. About 1 750-1 800.
Height 9^ inches. Plate X.
62 Albarello or drug jar. Raised blue decoration.
White label for name. About 1 750-1800.
Height 5 inches. Plate XI.

II
SHOWIXG CHINESE INFLUENCE
1650-1750
63 Laver. Around the sides are white medallions
with baskets of flowers in Chinese taste. In the
center is the double-headed, crowned eagle of the
Austrian dynast)-. This interesting piece, which
is decorated in heavy blue, reveals the combina
tion of the Spanish and the Chinese influences.
About 1 680-1 700. Diameter 1734 inches. Plate XVI.
^3]

64 Vase with floral decorations painted in white re
served medallions surrounded by deep blue
ground containing reserved white ornamentation.
The form and decorative treatment are strongly
Oriental. About 1 680-1 700. Height 1434
inches. Plate XVII.
65 Pair of barrel-shaped flower pots. Floral de
signs painted in white medallions surrounded by
dark blue ground. The shape is Spanish, but the
decoration shows Chinese influence. About 1750.
Height sVs inches. Plate XVIII.
66 Bowl. Blue decorations in Chinese taste. About
1800. Diameter 11 34 inches.
67 Pair of oval dishes. Figure decoration in Chi
nese style. About 1830. Length 18 inches. Plate XIX.
68 Cover of jar or dish. Conventional decorations
in blue in Chinese taste. About 1800. Diameter
13% inches.
69 Urn-shaped flower vase. Blue conventional deco
rations showing Chinese influence. About 1750.
Height 12% inches. Plate XX
70 Barrel-shaped jardiniere. Reserved flower me
dallions in blue ground. The form of the vessel
Z<*1

Plate XVII.

64

Plate XVIII.

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Plate XIX.
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Plate XX.

Plate XXI.

Plate XXII.

is Spanish, but the decoration reveals Oriental
influence. About 1 700-1 750. Height 17 inches.
Plate XXI.
71 Barrel-shaped jardiniere. Paintings of men in
Spanish and Chinese costumes, in reserved white
medallions, alternating with irregular blue me
dallions containing reserved white decorations.
The figures in the four medallions represent a
Chinaman carrying a jar, a man looking through
a telescope, a Spaniard playing a guitar, and a
man in Chinese garb with arms outstretched.
The decorations show Chinese influence. About
1 700-1 750. Height 18 inches. Plate XXII.

Ill
SHOWING HISPANO-MEXICAN
INFLUENCE 1 800-1 900
72 Water jar with two handles. Decorated in poly
chrome — green, blue, yellow, brown, and rose.
Around the center are painted figure scenes from
Indian life. An Indian carrying two water ves
sels is approaching a well. A Mexican is shown
carrying two jugs, while beside him a boy is
ascending a ladder leading to an upper window
1771

of a house. On the other side two water carriers
are fighting, while in front is the representation
of a well. Between the figures are trees and vines
with convolvulus blossom. Height 17% inches.
The rose or mauve color was not introduced
into Mexican maiolica until the beginning of the
nineteenth century. This interesting piece is of
about that period. Plates XXIII and XXV.
73 Water jar with handles, a companion to the pre
ceding. Similar colors have been used in the
decoration, but the figure scenes are somewhat
different. At the front is a similar design of a
well, by the side of which a woman stands. An
other woman is shown grinding corn on a stone
metate, while a third woman is carrying water
and leading a boy who is filling a jug at a well.
The same house with a ladder is shown, the sash
of the upper window being closed. The man
stands at the base of the ladder, with a key in one
hand and a staff in the other. Approaching him
is a man bearing water vessels. About 1800.
Height 17^8 inches. Plates XXIV and XXV.
74 Covered bowl. Decoration in green, brown, and
rose. Inscription, "Viva Fernando 7" About
1820. Diameter 9 inches.
The ornamentation consists of roses painted in
a peculiar mauve tone, and was evidently done
during the reign of Ferdinand VII of Spain,

Plate XXIII.

72

Plate XXIV.

73

Plate XXV.

Plate XXVI.

which extended from 1808 to 1833. This is an
excellent example of this rare and beautiful color.
Plate XXVI.
75 Laver or basin. Figure decoration in poly
chrome — red, green, yellow, and brown — repre
senting "The Baptism of the Saviour." About
1800. Diameter 1234 inches. Plate XXVII.
76 Large plate or dish. Decorated in brown and
red. Inscription, "Combento de la SSma M"
From the Convent of the Holy Trinity. About
1830. Diameter 1234 inches. Plate XXVIII.
yy Globular jar with polychrome decoration — dark
blue, yellow, green, brown, and rose color. The
shoulder is decorated with the raised dark blue,
containing reserved white ornaments. The body
is embellished with vertical bands alternately
white and yellow, with colored ornamentation.
This interesting piece marks the transition from
the monochrome blue to the colored style of deco
ration and dates from about 1800. Height n
inches. Plate XXIX.
78 Plate with scalloped edge. Border decoration in
mauve and pale blue. Central motive is a pillar
taken from the arms of the Convent of the En-
senanza, Mexico City. About 1825. Diameter
8^4 inches. Plate XXXVII.
C87]

79 Plate with scalloped edge. Border decoration in
mauve and pale blue. Central motive is a pillar
taken from the arms of the Convent of the En-
senanza, Mexico City. About 1825. Diameter
8^4 inches.
80 Covered bowl with fluted sides decorated in
mauve and green. About 1825. Diameter 5%
inches.
81 Jar cover. Polychrome decoration — dark blue,
yellow, green, and mauve. Modeled knob in
form of fruit. This example shows the transi
tion from the blue to the polychrome decoration
and dates from about 1800. Diameter 14 inches.
82 Large dish. Polychrome decoration — green, yel
low, rose, and black. Period of about 1820.
Diameter 14^4 inches. Marked "CA", with an
"o" over the "A", in black.
83 Large dish. Polychrome decoration — pale green,
pink, and black. The central design is a house
surrounded by trees. About 1825. Diameter
14^4 inches.

84 Large dish. Polychrome decoration — green,
mauve, yellow, and black. About 1825. Diam
eter 1454 inches. A monogram consisting of the
letters "C S", followed by a small "o".
£™1

Plate XXVII.

Plate XXVIII.

Plate XXIX.

Plate XXX.

Plate XXXI.

Plate XXXII.

85 Small bowl-shaped jardiniere or tazza with two
handles. Decorated in green, yellow, black, and
brick red. About 1840. Diameter 534- inches.
Plate XXX.
86 Jug with red, yellow, green, and black ornamen
tation. About 1840. Height 834 inches.
Plate XXXVIII.
87 Pair of jars. Decorated in red, yellow, and
green. About 1830. Height 14 inches. Plate XXXI.
88 Large bowl. Decorated in yellow, green, black,
mauve, and red. About 1840. Diameter 15%
inches. Plate XXXII.
89 Cup with handle. Brick red border, and inscrip
tion in black, "Conbento de la Sa De Oueretaro".
About 1840. Diameter 434 inches. Plate XXXIII.
90 Large bowl on foot, handles modeled in forms of
human heads. Decorated in red, yellow, green,
black, and mauve. About 1835. Height yYs
inches. Plate XXXIV.
91 Albarello or drug jar with bands of conventional
flowers in polychrome — red, yellow, green, and
black. About 1820. Height 834 inches. Plate VIII.
92 Spherical jar or jug. Decorated with red, yel
lowy green, and black. Inscribed "Antonio
Lopes", in black. About i860. Height 7 inches.
Plate XXXV.
L>0

93 Plate with irregular border. Decorated in yel
low, green, red, and black. Central design, a
bull in yellow. About 1850. Diameter 8J4
inches. Plate XXXVI.
94 Bowl with handles. Polychrome decoration —
red, green, and black. About 1845. Diameter
4j4 inches.
95 Large dish. Polychrome decoration — red, green,
and yellow. About 1840. Diameter 14^4 inches.
Plate XLIV.
96 Inkstand. Circular form. Decorated in red and
green. About 1840. Diameter 334 inches.
97 Inkstand. Circular form. Decorated in red and
green. About 1840. Diameter 334 inches.
98 Sand-shaker. Hexagonal form decorated in
green and brown. About 1840. Diameter 3%
inches. Plate XIII.
99 Sand-shaker. Decorated in blue, yellow, and
black. About 1830. Diameter 334 inches.
100 Plate. Yellow, green, and black. Central design
a parrot. About 1840. Diameter 834 inches.
101 Barrel-shaped jardiniere. Yellow and green
decoration. About 1830. Height 11 34 inches.
Plate XXIX.

Plate XXXIII.

Plate XXXIV.

Plate XXXV.

Plate XXXVI.

Plate XXXVII.

Plate XXXVIII.

Plate XXXIX.

Plate XL.

102 Laver or bowl. Polychrome decoration — red,
yellow, green, and brown. About 1840. Diam
eter 18 inches. Plate XXXIX.
103 Plate. Decorated in yellow and raised blue.
About 1800. Diameter 834 inches. Plate XXXVII.
104 Spherical jar. With arms of Carmelite order in
brown on bright yellow ground. About 1840.
Height 1 1 34 inches. Plate XL.
105 Plate with blue decoration. Central design of a
house. About 1850. Diameter 834 inches.
106 Jug. Decorated in raised blue. Inscribed "El
que noba enbia, consugavito al apulqueno".
About 1800. Height 734 inches. Plate XXXVIII.
107 Jug with black and yellow ornament. About
1830. Height 834 inches. Plate XIV.
108 Bowl. Blue decoration. About 1840. Diameter
9^4 inches.
109 Bowl. Blue conventional decoration. About
1840. Diameter 1334 inches. Plate XLI.
no Benitier. Brown decoration. From Convent of
Santa Cruz, Queretaro, Mexico. About 1840.
Height 9 inches. Plate XLIII.

1 1 1 Large basin with arms of La Merced Convent, in
blue. About 1840. Diameter 14^ inches. Plate XLI.
112 Benitier. Decorated in blue and yellow. About
1830. Height 10^4 inches. Plate XLII.
113 Large plate. Decorated in yellow and black.
About 1830. Diameter 13% inches. Plate XXVIII.
114 Large plate. Decorated in blue, green, and black
on yellow ground. About 1830. Diameter 13^4
inches. Marked "g", in black. Plate XLV.
115 Plate. Polychrome decoration on pale blue
ground. About 1840. Diameter 8^4 inches.
Marked "g", in black.
116 Large bowl with fluted sides. Decorated in dark
blue and polychrome on pale blue ground. Cen
tral design, a man on horseback. About 1820.
Diameter 14^4 inches. Marked "CS". Plate XLIV.
1 1 7 Large plate with scalloped edge. Dark blue and
polychrome decoration on pale blue ground.
About 1820. Diameter 1334 inches. Plate XLV.
118 Large plate with scalloped edge. Dark blue and
polychrome decoration on pale blue ground.
About 1820. Diameter 133.4 inches.

Plate XLI.

54

Plate XLII.

no
Plate XLIII.

135

Plate XLIV.

Plate XLV.

119 Large plate with scalloped edge. Dark blue and
polychrome decoration on pale blue ground.
About 1820. Diameter 1534 inches.
120 Plate. Dark blue and polychrome decoration on
pale blue ground. About 1820. Diameter 8^4
inches.
121 Plate. Decorated in dark blue and polychrome
on pale blue ground. About 1820. Diameter
8 24 inches.
122 Pair of salt-cellars. Decorated in dark blue and
polychrome on pale blue ground. About 1820.
Height 2 5,4 inches.
123 Jar-shaped cup with two handles. Decorated in
dark blue and polychrome on pale blue ground.
About 1830. Height 4% inches.
124 Benitier. Decorated in dark blue, yellow, and
green on pale blue ground. About 1820. Height
10 inches.
125 Small tea-pot. Decorated in dark blue and poly
chrome on pale blue ground. About 1830.
Height 434 inches.
126 Barrel-shaped mug. Decorated in dark blue and

polychrome on pale blue ground. About 1820.
Height 9 inches. Plate XXXVIII.
127 Urn-shaped jardiniere with two handles. Dark
blue and polychrome on pale blue ground. About
1830. Height 1234 inches. Plate XL VI.
1 28 Large bowl. Dark blue and polychrome on pale
blue ground. About 1830. Diameter 1734
inches. Plate XL VI.
129 Large vase-shaped jardiniere. Dark blue and
polychrome on pale blue ground. About 1830.
Height 26 inches. Plate XL VII.
130 Albarello or drug jar. Blue glaze. About 1840.
Height 1 1 34 inches. Plate XII.
131 Albarello or drug jar. Blue glaze. About i860.
Height 11^4 inches. Plate XII.
132 Bowl-shaped candlestick. White glaze. Slight
blue decoration. About i860. Height 334 inches.
Plate XV.
133 Small vase. Blue bands. Nineteenth century.
Height 434 inches.
134 Cover or lid. Blue decoration. Nineteenth cen
tury. Diameter 2^ inches. (See 56.)

Plate XLVI.

Plate XLVII.

129

Plate XLVIII.

136

135 Benitier. Yellow, blue, and green decoration.
Nineteenth century. Height 12^4 inches. Plate XLIII.
136 Large candlestick in the form of a sitting dog.
White glaze. Has been decorated with red and
green paint and gilding, and was probably used
in a church or convent. About 1830. Height
1534 inches. Plate XLVIII.
137 Cylindrical jar with handles. Profusely deco
rated in green, red, and yellow. About 1840-
1860. Height 13^4 inches.
138 Cylindrical jar with handles. Polychrome figure
decoration. About 1865. Height 8% inches.
139 Cylindrical jar with handles. Polychrome deco
ration. About 1865. Height 9^4 inches. Plate XLIX.
140 Covered jar. Polychrome decoration. About
1840-1860. Height 1 1 34 inches. Plate XXXV
141 Jar. Polychrome decoration. Nineteenth cen
tury. Height 7 inches.
142 Inkstand. Polychrome decoration. Curious
shape. About i860. Height 234 inches.
143 Dish. Blue and red decoration. Nineteenth cen
tury. Diameter 7 inches.
nx39]

144 Plate. Polychrome decoration. Figure of
woman in the center. Nineteenth century.
Diameter 7 inches. Plate XXXVI.
145 Laver or bowl. Polychrome floral decoration.
About 1850. Diameter 1934 inches. Plate L.
146 Oblong dish or platter with waving edge. Deco
rated in polychrome with figure scene. About
middle of the nineteenth century. Length n^4
inches. Plate XXXVI.

MODERN PIECES
LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY
147 Baptismal basin. Decorated in polychrome with
subject, "The Baptism of the Saviour". Diam
eter 1 6^4 inches.
148 Large fluted bowl. Polychrome decoration.
Diameter 13^4 inches.
149 Bowl with polychrome decoration. Diameter
8^4 inches.

150 Bowl. Polychrome decoration. Diameter 8^4
inches.
151 Cylindrical jar with two handles. Polychrome
decoration. Height 13 inches.

Plate XLIX.

Plate L.

152 Cover of jar. Polychrome decoration. Diam
eter 1234 inches.
153 Plate. Dark blue design. Diameter 934 inches.
1 54 Dish. Conventional polychrome designs. Diam
eter 9 inches.
155, 156 Large inkstand of star form with stopper.
Decorated in blue monochrome with human
figures, birds, and animals. Diameter 734
inches.
157 Tile lavatory, containing three lavers, or basins,
decorated in polychrome, with vases of flowers
and escutcheon of the Franciscan monks. About
1830.

LEAD-GLAZED POTTERY
Sgraffito, or slip-decorated, pottery was pro
duced at Guanajuato, Mexico, in the first part of
the nineteenth century.
158 Oval shaving-dish of red clay, covered with white
slip with incised floral ornaments in red and
green. Guanajuato, about 1830. Plate LI.
159 Large dish or plate of red clay, covered with in
cised ornaments representing a vase of flowers
£145:1

and birds in green and brown. Guanajuato,
about 1830. Plate LI.
160 Figure of a deer in sitting attitude. Two holes
in the head indicate that antlers, made separately,
were intended to be inserted. This curious ex
ample found in Mexico was probably brought
from China and is not of Mexican workmanship.
Large quantities of Chinese pottery and porcelain
were imported into Mexico in the seventeenth,
eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. Plate LII.

SPANISH MAIOLICA
The following described pieces, found in Mexico,
are of Spanish origin.
161 Albarello or drug jar. Decorated with the
crowned, double-headed Austrian eagle, in blue.
Talavera, Spain. About the middle of the nine
teenth century. Height 8 inches. Plate IX.
162 Large plate. Decorated with floral and bird de
signs in blue. Talavera, Spain. Early nineteenth
century.
163 Large plate with heraldic design in blue. Tala
vera, Spain. Late eighteenth century.
1^1

Plate LI.

Plate LII.

1 60

164 Large plate with blue heraldic design. Talavera,
Spain. Early nineteenth century.
165 Oblong dish or platter. Polychrome decoration.
Inscribed "D. Favsto Agvada". Length 1034
inches.
166 Cup. Blue decoration. Probably Talavera,
Spain. Late eighteenth century. Plate XXXIII.
167 Cup. Polychrome decoration. Talavera, Spain.
Late eighteenth century.
168 Cup. Blue decoration. Talavera, Spain. Early
nineteenth century.
169 Tazza. Conventional bird and floral decoration
in dark blue. Talavera, Spain. About 1775 —
1800. Diameter 10 inches. Plate XXXVII.

LI50

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