Mantón de Manila

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Flamenco dancer with Mantón de Manila

The Mantón de Manila , plural Mantones de Manila , is a square cloth made of silk . It is embroidered in bright colors with flowers, birds or fantasy motifs and adorned with fringes all around. Traditionally, it was part of formal, elegant women's fashion in Spain and Latin America. Especially in Andalusia, it is a popular accessory for festive occasions and in flamenco .

history

The popular assumption that the garment originated in ancient China has been questioned by historians. Rather, it was made for the needs of the Spanish colonial empire, especially for customers in American New Spain . From the production facilities in Guangdong , southern China , it reached Spain and Latin America via the Philippine capital Manila . In the middle of the 19th century, the demand was so great that a special zone was set up in Guangzhou for the production of these towels.

The Canarian writer Benito Pérez Galdós developed a literary reference of the Mantón de Manila in his novel Fortunata y Jacinta . There he described his role in the society of the Spanish capital Madrid :

Chula , painting by the Filipino painter Juan Luna , ca.1895

«… El ingenio bordador de los pañuelos de Manila (...), el poeta fecundísimo de esos madrigales de crespón compuestos con flores y rimados con pájaros. A este ilustre chino deben las españolas el hermosísimo y característico chal que tanto favorece su belleza, el mantón de Manila, al mismo tiempo señoril y popular, pues lo han llevado en sus hombros la gran señora y la gitana. Envolverse en él es como vestirse con un cuadro. La industria moderna no inventará nada que iguale a la ingenua poesía del mantón, salpicado de flores, flexible, pegadizo y mate, con aquel fleco que tiene algo de los enredos del sueño y aquella brillantez de color que iluminaba las muchedumbres en los tiempos en que su uso era general. Esta prenda hermosa se va desterrando, y sólo el pueblo la conserva con admirable instinto. Lo saca de las arcas en las grandes épocas de la vida, en los bautizos y en las bodas, como se da al viento un himno de alegría en el cual hay una estrofa para la patria. El mantón sería una prenda vulgar si tuviera la ciencia del diseño; no lo es por conservar el carácter de las artes primitivas y populares; es como la leyenda, como los cuentos de la infancia, candoroso y rico de color, fácilmente comprensible y refractario a los cambios de la moda. "

“… The ingenious sticker of the cloths from Manila (…), the most fertile poet of those madrigals made of fine pile, which he composes from flowers and rhymes with birds. It is to this illustrious Chinese that the Spanish women owe the beautiful and characteristic shawl that so much favors their beauty, the Mantón de Manila, which is both stately and popular, carried on the shoulders by the great lady and the Gitana . Wrapping yourself in it is like getting dressed in a painting. Modern industry will not invent anything that corresponds to the innocent poetry of the mantón, which is sprinkled with flowers, pliable, handy and satin-finished, and with that fringe edge. The mantón has something of the entanglements of dreams and that brightness of color that enlightened the crowds when its use was still common. This beautiful garment is frowned upon and only the people preserve it with admirable instinct. At the great moments in life, at baptisms and weddings, they take it out of the chest, like a hymn of joy to the wind, in which there is a stanza for home. According to the science of design, the mantón would be a vulgar item of clothing; this is not the case, however, for it preserves the character of simple and popular art; it is like a legend, like the stories of childhood, innocent and rich in color, easy to understand and unruly against the change in fashion. "

A little later he described the collapse of the Asian textile trade after it had been displaced by "serious" fashion from Paris and London:

Manola by Julio Romero de Torres , c. 1900. Museo Reina Sofía .

«Las comunicaciones rápidas nos trajeron mensajeros de la potente industria belga, francesa e inglesa, que necesitaban mercados. (...) Al propio tiempo arramblaban por los espléndidos pañuelos de Manila, que habían ido descendiendo hasta las gitanas. También se dejó sentir aquí, como en todas partes, el efecto de otro fenómeno comercial, hijo del progreso. Refiérome a los grandes acaparamientos del comercio inglés, debidos al desarrollo de su inmensa marina. Esta influencia se manifestó bien pronto en aquellos humildes rincones de la calle de Postas por la depreciación súbita del género de la China. (...) Al fundar los ingleses el gran depósito comercial de Singapore, monopolizaron el tráfico del Asia y arruinaron el comercio que hacíamos por la vía de Cádiz y cabo de Buena Esperanza con aquellas apartadas regiones. Ayún y Senquá dejaron de ser nuestros mejores amigos, y se hicieron amigos de los ingleses. El sucesor de estos artistas, el fecundo e inspirado King-Cheong se cartea en inglés con nuestros comerciantes y da sus precios en libras esterlinas. Desde que Singapore apareció en la geografía práctica, el género de Cantón y Shangai dejó de venir en aquellas pesadas fragatonas de los armadores de Cádiz, los Fernández de Castro, los Cuesta, los Rubio; y the dilatada travesía del Cabo pasó a la historia como apéndice de los fabulosos trabajos de Vasco de Gama y de Alburquerque. La vía nueva trazáronla los vapores ingleses combinados con el ferrocarril de Suez. "

“With the fast traffic connections came ambassadors from the powerful Belgian, French and English industries who needed markets. (...) At the same time they tore the magnificent cloths of Manila, which had reached down to the Gitanas, for themselves. As everywhere, an aspect of trade, of progress, was at work here too. I mean the great monopolies of English trade due to the development of its vast ports. This influence soon manifested itself in the humble nooks and crannies of Calle de Postas due to the sudden failure of goods from China. (…) When the English founded the great Singapore trading warehouse, they monopolized traffic in Asia and ruined the trade we did with these distant regions via Cadiz and the Cape of Good Hope. Ayún and Senquá stopped being our best friends and became friends of the English. The successor to these artists, the fruitful and inspired King-Cheong, writes letters in English to our dealers and gives his prices in pounds sterling. Since Singapore appeared in practical geography, the goods from Canton and Shanghai disappeared from the heavy frigates of the shipowners of Cádiz, the Fernández de Castro, the Cuesta, the Rubio; and the long trip around the Cape went down in history as a footnote to the fabulous deeds of Vasco da Gama and Albuquerque . The new route was operated by English steamers in combination with the Suez Railway. "

Mexico also had a considerable influence on the design of the Mantón de Manila. The bright colors developed there favored its popularity in Spain. Mexican and Chinese trades complemented each other and left their mark. After Mexican silk production declined in the late 18th century, embroidery from Mexico probably continued even on Chinese silk.

In the course of the 19th century the design developed:

  • Mantones from around 1820–1830 are made of fine, smooth Chinese silk chiffon. They are decorated with a simple border with small embroidered flowers. The fringes are less than four inches long and come from the chain of the fabric itself.
  • From approx. 1830 to 1850 the cloths are provided with a wider border. The inside is decorated with the conventional flowers and blossom patterns, while the outside can be up to 20 centimeters wide and depicts scenes from everyday Chinese life. In the middle there is an empty cross-shaped area, the floral patterns are grouped towards the corners. The fringes are up to 20 centimeters long and processed with macrame on the fabric .
  • Around 1850–1970 the edges are simpler again and the scenery moves to the center of the cloth. The flowers grow out of the corners and combine with butterflies, peacocks and birds. The fringes reach and exceed 20 centimeters, so thicker silk must be used for the towels. With the voluminous hoop skirts, the mantones became more and more popular as a bright accessory.
  • In the last third of the 19th century, mantons with scenic representations were made. These scenes take place in two corners of the cloth, often in Chinese pavilions, and have a gallant impression. The faces of the figures can be decorated with ivory appliqués . Birds and flowers appear in the other two corners. The fringes are up to 50 centimeters long.

Painters such as Joaquín Sorolla , Hermen Anglada Camarasa , Ramón Casas and Julio Romero de Torres depicted the Mantón de Manila in their pictures.

From around 1920, the spread of the Mantón de Manila in general clothing decreased. Since then, it has mainly been worn on festive occasions and for flamenco.

During her visit to Ronda in August 2010, Michelle Obama received a more than 200 year old Mantón de Manila as a gift. It was cream colored and printed with red roses. When Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall , visited the Flamenco Museum in Seville in April 2011 , she was given a blue Mantón de Manila.

Nowadays, cheap imitations made of synthetic fibers are also offered under the name “Mantón de Manila”. Nevertheless, precious pieces are still handcrafted from real silk. There are a number of smaller businesses in Seville in particular.

Manufacture and storage

The large, square cloth is produced in many colors, the classic colors being ivory and black.

Before processing the cloth, a drawing is made on paper and perforated. The fabric is marked with chalk through the perforation. It is then stretched on a frame for embroidery. The most common technique is acu pictae ( Latin : needle painting ) in a flat design with piping . The work is completed with the addition of the fringes, an ornament adopted by the Arabs, which is also made with silk thread using the macramé technique. The fringes are intricately braided into decorative knots using the so-called flecado technique. The knots are used to date the pieces, with the older pieces from before 1830 having simple fringes with no macrame. This wickerwork is a traditional homework trade in Andalusia.

As protection for the long sea voyage and as jewelry packaging, square boxes made of lacquered and gilded wood were made in the Philippines. They were decorated with inlays of mother of pearl and Chinese motifs. Inside was another box with a single piece folded in it.

Mantones should be folded according to a special system for storage. If this is not mastered, they can be hung on a bracket and covered. You can also keep it loosely, without creases, in a drawer if you change its position from time to time. There are also quilted cotton cloths in which the manton is rolled up. They prevent the acid from the house dust from attacking the silk fabric.

use

Flamenco dancer with mantón , oil painting by John Singer Sargent .

Usually the mantón is carried on the shoulders and folded diagonally into a triangle. It should cover the back and reach the wearer's fingertips when she lets her arms hang loosely. Often it is knotted on one side at hip height.

Since the cantantes café era at the latest , numerous flamenco dancers have been using the Mantón de Manila to support their expression with its bright colors and lively use. The long list of its wearers ranges from La Mejorana to contemporary dancers such as María Pagés .

reception

In the Zarzuela the mantón is mentioned in some places, for example in the following duet from the opera La verbena de Paloma by Ruperto Chapí based on a libretto by Ricardo de la Vega :

Julián:
«¿Dónde vas con mantón de Manila?
¿Dónde vas con vestido chiné? »
Susana:
"A lucirme ya ver la verbena,
ya meterme en la cama después."

Julián:
“Where are you going with the Mantón de Manila?
Where do you go in a Chiné dress? "
Susana:
" To shine at the party, to look around there,
and then to go to bed. "

Another popular passage is the chorus of chulapos and chulapas :

Por ser la Virgen de la Paloma,
un mantón de la China-na, China-na, China-na,
un mantón de la China-na te voy a regalar.

Because I am the Virgen de la Paloma , I will give you
a China-na, China-na, China-na, China-na-cloth,
a China-na cloth.

Web links

Commons : Mantones de Manila  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

References and comments

  1. ↑ Joaquín Vázquez Parladé: Buena Vista de Indias . 1992, p. 58-78 .
  2. ↑ Encarnación Aguilar Criado: Las bordadoras de mantones de Manila de Sevilla. Trabajo y género en la producción doméstica. Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla 1999, ISBN 978-84-472-0523-3 , pp. 56 ( google.de [accessed on March 9, 2019]).
  3. ↑ Blanca Nuño de la Rosa: El mantón de Manila y la Ruta de la seda. In: La Cómoda encantada. October 7, 2013, Retrieved March 8, 2019 (Spanish).
  4. ↑ Benito Pérez Galdós: Fortunata y Jacinta . Castalia, Madrid 1984, ISBN 84-376-0439-7 , pp. 127-128 .
  5. ↑ Benito Pérez Galdós: Fortunata y Jacinta . S. 151-152 .
  6. ^ A street in the center of Madrid, in the Sol district
  7. ↑ Masterful Chinese artisans who made excellent cloths
  8. ↑ La Historia del Mantón. Segunda parte. In: Artesanía Nava. Retrieved March 9, 2019 (Spanish).
  9. ↑ a b c d e Lucina Llorente: El mantón chino (de Manila) . Museo del Traje, Madrid October 2016, p. 7 (Spanish, gob.es [PDF; accessed March 9, 2019]).
  10. ↑ a b Lucina Llorente: El mantón chino (de Manila) . S. 8 .
  11. ↑ Julia Camacho: Michelle y Sasha Obama discover el puente de Ronda. In: El Periódico. August 7, 2010, accessed March 8, 2019 (Spanish).
  12. ↑ Un balcón dedicado y un mantón de regalo. In: diariosur.es. August 8, 2010, Retrieved March 8, 2019 (Spanish).
  13. ↑ Almudena Martínez-Fornés: Trajes de flamenco, un mantón y aceite de oliva para la Duquesa. In: ABC. April 2, 2011, Retrieved March 8, 2019 (Spanish).
  14. ↑ a b Encarnación Aguilar Criado: Las bordadoras de mantones de Manila de Sevilla . S. 64 .
  15. ^ Aurelio Barrón: Renaissance Embroidery in Burgos . In: Datatèxtil . No. 30 . Universidad de Cantabria, Santander 2014 (English, researchgate.net [PDF; accessed March 9, 2019]).
  16. ↑ Laura R. Iñigo: Bordadoras de mantones de Manila: un arte que pasa de madres a hijas. In: ABC. April 30, 2015, Retrieved March 9, 2019 (Spanish).
  17. ↑ Encarnación Aguilar Criado: Las bordadoras de mantones de Manila de Sevilla . S. 129 ff .
  18. ↑ Lucina Llorente: El mantón chino (de Manila) . S. 5 .
  19. ↑ Encarnación Aguilar Criado: Las bordadoras de mantones de Manila de Sevilla . S. 103 .
  20. ↑ José Luis Navarro García: Historia del Baile Flamenco . Volume I. Signatura Ediciones de Andalucía, Seville 2010, ISBN 978-84-96210-70-7 .
  21. ^ Juan Mariscal: Maria Pages version Shostakovich.wmv. (Video) In: Youtube. March 2, 2012, accessed March 9, 2019 (Spanish, soloist with Mantón de Manila appears on stage at 1:50).
  22. ↑ Chulapo | Spanish German. typical representative of the working class of the Madrid province at the end of the 19th century. In: PONS online dictionary. Retrieved March 9, 2019 .
  23. ^ The designation of Maria as the patron saint of Madrid