This course explores the cultures and histories of the early modern Iberian Pacific through the lens of various types of global objects produced in Asia, Latin America, and Europe. From the global Spanish and Portuguese missionary activities to the transpacific journey of chocolate connecting Mexican and Philippine cultures, we will examine how the project of Iberian expansion for spiritual and territorial conquest shaped the cultural landscapes of the early modern Pacific world. Students will engage with folding screens, statues, paintings, news pamphlets, letters, suits of armor, coins, beverages, and books.
