Alexandra Rodriguez-Jack
A WOMAN’S PLACE: PRIVATE LIVES AND DOMESTIC DISPLAY IN THE ESTRADOS OF VICEREGAL SPANISH AMERICA, 1700-1825
My thesis explores the origins of the estrado in viceregal Spain and its social context, particularly in relation to female agency and property ownership in colonial Latin America during the 18th century. It also addresses the importance of trade and cross-cultural contact in fashioning the space and the social factors and historical events that led to the estrado’s disappearance in the 19th century. My thesis describes the luxurious furniture and materials used in various configurations of the space and discusses the objects used in rituals and rites of sociability (sociabilidad) associated with the estrado and their significance.