Metropolitan Cathedral majolica ceramics

Lister and Lister (2) further refined the majolica typology for the 16th-century varieties. Their interpretation was based on the study of majolica ceramics found below a floor sealed in 1573 at the Metropolitan Cathedral excavation site along with other ceramics from less well-defined stratigraphic contexts at the Sagrario excavations in Mexico City. On the basis of this... 

The production of majolica ceramics in Mexico during the 16th century is believed to have taken place in both Mexico City and in Puebla. Much of the evidence for Mexico City production consists of the ceramics from excavations at the Metropolitan Cathedral site. 

Historical documents do, however, record dates for the construction of the Metropolitan Cathedral, the floor of which was laid in 1573, sealing underneath deposits of the first 50 years of colonial occupation and the earlier Pre-Colombian period. During the installation of support pylons at the cathedral in 1975 and 1976, 182 pits were sunk through the floor, allowing excavation and sampling of the early colonial deposits. Majolica ceramics from these excavations assigned to non-Spanish types are assumed to be from a Mexico City production. Despite the lack of more detailed information, the claim is made (2) that, as Mexico City was the most important city of New Spain for the entire 16th century, the earliest demands of the market for better dishes must have been met by local craftsmen. 

The 16th-century majolica samples came from excavations at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City and can be assigned to a date before 1573. Other ceramics from excavations in Mexico City at the Sagrario and the Metro can not be so closely dated. The types of ceramics include Mexico City White, Fig Springs/ San Juan Polychrome, Sevilla White, and Columbia Gun Metal. 

Two samples, SC 37 and SC 38, assigned to the proposed Puebla production group, in fact come from the sealed context at the Metropolitan Cathedral. The significance of these two sherds is that they provide evidence of Puebla production of majolica ceramics before 1573. Two of the Fig Springs/San Juan Polychrome sherds, SC 46 and SC 52, excavated at the Sagrario, have the proposed Mexico City composition. On this basis, we propose that there may be two varieties of Fig Springs/San Juan Polychrome, one from Puebla and one from Mexico City. 

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