Date of Award

Spring 5-9-2025

Document Type

Honors Project

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Art and Art History

Department Chair or Program Director

Mentore, Laura

First Advisor

Suzie Kim

Major or Concentration

Art History

Abstract

This study focuses into the often-overlooked world of 16th-17th-century globally-mobile folding screens, revealing them as vastly important cultural objects. While conventional scholarship tends to compartmentalize artistic traditions, focusing on isolated cultures, this research emphasizes the vibrant exchanges that connected Japan and Mexico during the ‘Baroque’ period. By contrasting the Conquest of Mexico screen with the Japanese Namban Folding Screen, the nuances and vastness of cultural interaction through creative objects becomes illuminated and revered as important pieces of global history.

Through applying global art historical theories, especially the concept of the ‘global Baroque,’ I explore how Mexican biombo screens adapted from Japanese byobū, demonstrating a dynamic trans-Pacific flow of styles and ideas. The aim of focusing on trans-Pacific connections is to explore cultural interconnectivity while decentering Europe, thereby prioritizing commonly overlooked contacts. Through analysis of the screens' materials, creative processes, styles, and functions, I argue that they served not just as practical items but as powerful symbols of wealth, identity, and political significance which were shared and re-adapted across numerous cultural groups.

I propose that these folding screens encapsulate the interconnectedness of diverse societies, challenging the notion of cultural isolation and traditional art historical canons of the centralization of favored cultures. Through observing how these artifacts reflect both local stories and global narratives, my research aims to enrich our understanding of ‘Baroque’ art and the multifaceted relationships that defined this era. Ultimately, this paper presents a more nuanced perspective on how art can act as a bridge between cultures, reimagining our view of history through more interconnected and vibrantly informed perspectives.

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