The Christ Child thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

The Christ Child

Statuette
ca. 1650 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Sri Lanka (made)

This piece was once thought to be probably Portuguese, then it was thought to be made in Goa, but is more likely to have been made in Sri Lanka, another Portuguese colony. Comparison with other Cingalo- Portuguese figures make this virtually certain, and it is likely to date from the mid-seventeenth century.


Object details

Categories
Sculpture
Christianity
Religion
Object type
Statuette
TitleThe Christ Child (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Ivory, painted and gilded on later wood base
Ivory
Wood
Brief description
Statuette, ivory on later wood base, the Christ Child with symbols of the Passion, Cingalo-Portuguese (Sri Lanka), ca. 1650
Physical description
The Christ Child in sandalled feet stands raising his right hand in benediction. His robe is engraved and painted with symbols of the Passion. The feet are fixed with two dowels to a later wood base, painted gold with a faux marble effect on the top, and yellow underneath. The robe, feet, sandals, hair, mouth and eyes are all painted. The clasped left hand probably originally held a cross.
Dimensions
  • Without socle height: 16.5cm
  • With socle height: 22cm
Credit line
Given by Dr W. L. HIldburgh FSA in 1927
Object history
This piece was catalogued by Longhurst as probably Portuguese. It was re-assigned to Goa by Estella Marcos, However it seems probably that it was made in Sri Lanka, another Portuguese colony. Comparison with other Cingalo-Portuguese figures make this virtually certain, and it is likely to date from the mid-seventeenth century.
Subject depicted
Christ Child
Summary
This piece was once thought to be probably Portuguese, then it was thought to be made in Goa, but is more likely to have been made in Sri Lanka, another Portuguese colony. Comparison with other Cingalo- Portuguese figures make this virtually certain, and it is likely to date from the mid-seventeenth century.
Bibliographic references
  • Longhurst, Margaret H. Catalogue of Carvings in Ivory. London: Published under the Authority of the Board of Education, 1929, Part II, p. 112
  • Berliner, R. Arma Christi. Münchner Jahrbuch der Bildenden Kunst. Dritte Folge, VI, 1955, p. 108, fig. 40
  • Estella Marcos, Margarita M. La escultura barroca de marfil en España : las escuelas europeas y las coloniales. Madrid, 1984, II, p. 403, cat. no. 940
  • de Tavares e Ta´vora, B. F. Imagina´ria luso-oriental. Lisbon, 1983, p. 75, figs. 98, 99
  • Trusted, Marjorie, Baroque & Later Ivories, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2013 pp. 384, 385
  • Trusted, Marjorie, Baroque & Later Ivories, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2013, pp. 384, 385, cat. no. 379
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
A.62-1927

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Record createdApril 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O228327/the-christ-child-statuette-unknown/
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