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S C HOOL OF S AN J OSE that included shields, tufts, crests, large fans, DE LOS N ATURALES birds, and "an image ofthe kings. 114 The excellence that Indian artists achieved 1 Mass oj Saint Gr~~ory in the art offeatherwork (amantecayot!) during 153 9 the late pre-Hispanic period grew out ofartisan Feathers on wood with touches of paint centers such as the tlacateo ofTexcoco, where the 261;.. x 22 in. (68 x 56 cm) children ofthe ruler were taught the arts and sci Musee d'Auch, France ences;5 the totocalli, Moctezuma's aviary in Tenoch titian, which also housed imperial workshops for The earliest Peninsular reference to feather paint lapidary, gold- and silversmithing, featherwork, ings occurs in Felipe de Guevara's sixteenth and painting; and the calmecac and the telpuchcalli, century Comentarios de la pintura: where priests and warriors studied "all kinds of arts-military, ecclesiastical, mechanical, and We must justl>' concede that the Indians brought astrological. 116 Sadly the "beautiful books ofpaint something new and rare to art with bird-feather ings and text" used for teaching these arts7 were painting. Using the diversity ofcolored feathers burned as idolatrous in an excess ofCatholic created by nature, which they industri ously plucked, zeal at the beginning ofthe conquest.s As a result, divided , separated, and mixed , these indigenous art Fray Bernardino de Sahagun's descriptions ofthe ists modeled realistic clothing, flesh, and objects. 1 practice ofgold- and silversmithing, lapidary, and Guevara undoubtedly \'.' rites as an eyewitness, featherwork during the early period ofevangeliza having had the chance to appreciate. in ship tion are invaluable. The didactic methodology and ments from New Spain to Philip's court, manu technique ofmanufacture used in the Franciscan scripts, precious stones, silver and gold jewelry, schools ofmechanical arts appear to follow closely and feather paintings, among many other objects those used by the Indians themselves immediately that shovved the Indians' skill as artisans. before the conquest, with the sole innovation of Hernan Cortes also expressed admiration Christian images as models." for these indigenous works in a letter written Colonial featherwork reached its pinnacle to Charles V from Mexico in I5 20: duri ng the sixteenth-century process of evangeli zation, especially in the Valley ofMex ico, Michoa [Moctezuma has] all the things to be found under can, and perhaps Tlaxcala. Religious chroniclers the heavens in [his] dom ain, fas hioned in gold and like Fray Ba(tolome de Las Casas have left us de silver and jewels and feathers ; and so realistic in tailed information about the importance ofthis gold and sil ver that no smith in the world could art Las Casas praises the feather artists (a manteca) have done better, and in jewels so fine that it is who worked in the school ofSan Jose de los impossible to imagine with what instruments they Naturales-founded about 1527 by the Flemish were cut so perfectly; and those in feathers more Franciscan lay brother Pedro de Game on the wo nderful than an ythi ng in wax or embroidery. 2 exact site where Moctezuma's aviary and imperial Two years later Cortes had a magni ficent tteasure workshops had stood-but he reserves his high shipped to Spain in which gold and pre-His panic est praise for the feather artists ofMichoadn: featherwork formed the bulk of consignments Every day they make images and altarpieces and destined for churches, monasteries, and civil many other things for us out offeathers, interjecting and ecclesiastical dignitaries, as well as for the gold elements here and there that make the piece emperor h.imseLf.3 In 1524, moreover, Diego showier, more precious, and universally admired. de Soto carried home three chests offeatherwork 1 I MA~~ ()I' ~ArNT GREr.ORY c)'1 And with no prodding on our part, [hey make bor constant feather supply so overwhelmed the Span ders for chasubles and capes, and veils and sleeves ish captain Bernal Dlaz del Castillo that he felt ofcrosses for religious processions and services, as forced to abstain from enumerating every kind of well as miters for bishops that . .. could not be more bird that was there and its peculiarity, for there beautiful nor agreeable to the sight. The arti sts of was everything from the Roya l Eagle . .. down to [his kind who outstrip all others in New Spain are tiny bi rds ofmany-colored plumage. [In addition in the province of Mech uaca.n .10 to others I have mentioned] there were parrots of Las Casas praises the skill of the amanteca in many different colors and there were so many of placing a feather so that, them that I forget their names , not to mention the beautifully marked ducks. 13 looked at from one angle, it will seem golden while DP lacking gold; from another angle, it will have a green sheen without being green; looked at crosswise, it will display another lovely color; and the same from many other angles, all shimmering marvelom:l;' 11 One of the earliest documented examples of featherworkwith Christian iconography is the Since its iridescences seemed to correspond standard ofthe Virgin Mary that the Indians of to the transfi guration of divine light, feather Huejotzingo financed and produced in 1531 to painting became a favorite medium for all kinds honor Nuno de Guzman and his conquest ofNew ofliturgical garments and devotional images Galicia. The piece is reproduced in the Harkness during the sixteenth century. The rich feathers Codex, which records t.he superhuman cost in gold, were ofa great variety, many coming from far slaves, feathers, and handiwork that the produc away lands through trade routes, From Guatemala tion ofsuch an object implied.14 Unfortunately, came quetzal feathers; from hot climates, those the standard's whereabouts today is unknown. ofhummingbirds, parrots, and other rare birds. The oldest known surviving piece ofcolonial Some birds were raised domestically in order to featherwork is this Mass ofSaint Gregory. pluck and sell their feathers. The importance ofthe Mass ofSaint Gregory EI EG for the history ofevangelical art lies not only in its technical and artistic excellence, state ofpres ervation, and size, but also in its unique role as According to Sahagun'S Historia, there were two a document: it is the only feather painting that techniques used in pre-Hispanic featherwork. records precise information about the time and For feather clothing, headdresses, and fans, the place ofits production and the names ofits recipi feathers were sewn or tied with maguey thread ent, patron, and donor, as well as those who may in an overlapping pattern onto net fabric or cane have been responsible for the composition and frameworks. For feather mosaic pictures or shields, for approving its propriety or decorum. All of patterns were drawn on maguey-Ieafor fig-tree this is registered in the dedicatory legend ofthe paper reinforced with carded cotton and glue. Then border: "Paulo III pontifici maxima / en magna this backing was covered with a bed oftrimmed indiaru[m] urbe Mexico / co[m]posita d[omi]no and glue-basted feathers. Over this bed, precious Didaco guberna /tore cura fr[atr] is Petri a Gante feathers, cut to size with copper or obsidian blades, minoritae A.D. 1539" (Fashioned for Pope Paul III were applied with bone tools. Fine lines were in the great city ofMexico ofthe Indies by the created by overlapping the layers so closely that governor Don Diego under the care ofFray Pedro some colors almost disappeared, and the contrast de Gante ofthe Minorites, A.D. 1539) .15 between iridescent and matte feathers was manip The governor mentioned here is, without a ulated to create various effects. doubt, Diego de Alvarado Huanitzin, nephew and Among the feathers used were those ofthe son-in-law ofMoctezuma II. After being deposed quetzal, hummingbird, parrot, heron, spoonbill, as lord ofEcatepec by Hernan Cortes, he was troupial, and blue cotinga. 12 The variety ofbirds appointed Indian governor (tlatoani) ofSan Juan bred in Moctezuma's royal aviary to provide a Tenochtitlan from 1539 to 1542 by Antonio de 96 SC HOOL OF S AN JOSE D E LOS NATU RALES I 1 Mendoza, the first viceroy. "" The fa ct that Alvarado produced at the end ofthe fifteenth century by Huanitzin dedicated the featherwork to Pope the prolific engraver Israhel van Meckenem (see, Paul III in the name ofhis people clearly demon for example, fig. 56).23 The feather painting, how strates the prevailing custom among indigenous ever, simplifies the composition by eli minating lords ofsending gifts offealty to both the reign the elaborate architectural background and altar ing pope and the emperor. piece, as well as the onlookers beside the alta r. Depictions ofthe Mass ofSaint Gregory de Obviously, we cannot say with certainty that the rive from what appears to be a fifteenth-century Meckenem engravings served as the precise source legend promoting beliefin Christ' s actual pres since copies or derivative versions, perhaps Span ence in the host ofthe Eucharist. 17 The story ish, may have been used instead. goes that the sixth-century saint and some dea The reverse side ofthe board that supports the cons, one ofthem a doubter, witnessed Christ's feather painting is covered in polychrome lacquer bodily presence on the altar at the moment of ware, a craft technique practiced in Michoadn the host's consecration. The image ofthe risen before and after the conquest. The background Christ as the Man ofSorrows surrounded by is a bright red ocher and displays at its center the instruments ofthe Passion (Arma Christi) may monogram XPS associated with devotion to the have been conftated with representations ofthe Holy Name oEJesus, which was revitalized by the Mass ofSaint Gregory because it had been in Minorite friar Saint Bernardine ofSiena (1380 use as a visual means ofexplaining the mystery 1444) and widely diffused in New Spain by both ofthe Eucharist to the faithful since the early Fra nciscans and Augustinians.