Trays from New Spain. A Cultural Crossroads

A Cultural Crossroads exhibition, which is devoted to one of the most unique artistic productions of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. The exhibition brings together an outstanding selection of lacquered trays from New Spain, which come from the extraordinary collection held by the America Museum. These pieces, made mainly by indigenous artisans, stand out for their technical refinement, decorative richness and profound historical and cultural value. Curated by Adrián Contreras, a researcher specialised in the subject and professor at the University of Granada, the exhibition explores the origin, evolution and significance of these works, as well as the diversity of the main centres for the production of New Spain lacquers in Mexico, including Uruapan, Peribán and Yucatán. The exhibition enables visitors to discover how lacquer techniques of pre-Hispanic origin evolved after coming into contact with Eastern and Western influences, giving rise to luxury objects intended primarily for the elite and often linked to women’s dowries. Furthermore, it contextualises these pieces within the broad artistic landscape that developed in the Spanish territories of the Americas, where indigenous, Asian, and European traditions coexisted. Through technical, material and documentary studies, the exhibition presents trays not only as decorative objects, but also as testimonies of the cultural exchanges and artistic processes that arose within the New Spain context.