What is an enconchado (shell-inlay) painting from colonial Mexico? Enconchado is a stunning baroque art technique popular in 17th-century New Spain (colonial Mexico), where artists inlaid mother-of-pearl into paintings to create a glowing, iridescent effect. But what exactly is the technique, and where did this technique come from? And how does it connect Mexico to Japan and the Philippines? In this video, you’ll learn:

• What enconchado is and how it’s made

• The Indigenous roots of shell art before the Spanish conquest

• How the Manila Galleon trade influenced this technique

• Why enconchados reflect both local traditions and global connections

Main objects:

1. Christ Teaching in the Temple, late 1600s, oil paint with shell inlay on wood panel, Mexico. Denver Art Museum.

2. Miguel González, The Virgin of Guadalupe, c. 1690 CE, oil on canvas on wood, inlaid with mother-of-pearl, Mexico. Los Angeles County Museum of Art

3. San Diego de Alcalá, 17th century, oil and mother-of-pearl inlay on panel. Philadelphia Museum of Art

4. Circle of the González Family, Biombo (Folding Screen) with Hunting Scene, c. 1697–1701 CE, oil on wood inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Brooklyn Museum

CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction to enconchado painting

0:23 Its popularity in New Spain

0:42 Creating an enconchado

1:20 The meaning of enconchado and its Indigenous roots

1:49 Connections to Asia, particularly Japan, and the Manila Galleon Trade