A rare Mexican painting arrives at the Currier Museum
(Artdaily.org)

The Currier Museum of Art opens an exciting new chapter in its collection with the acquisition of a Mexican painting from around 1700. Not only is it a powerful example of Spanish colonial painting, it is made in a mixture of techniques that blends the arts of Mexico, Europe, and Asia. The Circumcision of Christ is delicately painted in oils on a combination of wood and thin pieces of seashell (called mother-of-pearl). The artist used the shimmering iridescence of the shell to enhance the costumes and setting. The original frame is no less extraordinary as pieces of shell are used to represent birds and flowers, while the gold design painted on a black background is directly influenced by Japanese lacquer. “Mexico in the 17th and 18th centuries lay at the crossroads of the world,” says Alan Chong, director of the Currier Museum of Art. “The galleon trade across the Pacific brought luxury goods from Japan, China, and th