An Impressive 17th-Century Viceregal Earthenware

Very little is known about the production of scientific instruments in the viceroyalties of New Spain and Peru between the 16th and 17th centuries, and even less about the use of ceramics in this area. Nevertheless, this was not the case for the búcaros de Indias. These beautiful artefacts were made in the Modern Age in Latin America, and those of Tonalá, a Mexican production active since pre-Columbian times, were the most famous. This essay explores the origin of hydromechanical artefacts in Spanish America, starting with analysing a still-life painting by Juan de Espinosa, recently sold at an auction. Espinosa’s table fountain reveals some interesting facts. First, these objects were part of the Baroque representation of conviviality. Second, their creation came from research and experiments on air pressure. The best known were those described by Hero of Alexandria, Giambattista Della Porta and Cornelis Drebbel, the inventor of the “Perpetuum mobile.”