Transpacific Crossings : Art, Trade, and the Manila Galleon

For 250 years (1565–1815), the Manila Galleon transported Asian goods from the Philippines to the Americas under the rule of the Spanish Crown. Stopping in Acapulco, Mexico, the silk, fans, lacquered goods, clothes, and porcelain brought by the galleon rapidly circulated through the Americas, introducing a new visual culture that influenced objects, consumers, makers, and merchants alike. Conversely, products imported from the Americas, such as silver, indigo dye, cochineal red, chili peppers, and corn, had an enormous impact on Asia. Eleven scholars from the United States, Mexico, and Singapore present current research on how the vast exchange of materials, techniques, and ideas between continents impacted the trajectory of art and material culture across the Pacific.