Masters of the Trade Native Artisans, Guilds, and the Construction of Colonial Quito

This article questions a number of general assumptions about the nature of indigenous participation in the construction and adornment of colonial Latin American architecture by examining the city of Quito. Systematic study of archival records demonstrates for the first time that numerous native masters and professionals were active in the building trades during the busiest period of the city’s construction (circa 1580–1720).