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 ivory statuette depicting the naked Christ Child is Cingalo-Portuguese (Sri Lanka), made in ca. 1650. It was formerly thought to be Portuguese and then re-assigned to Goa. Comparisons with similar figures suggest it is in fact from Sri Lanka.


Object details

Categories
Sculpture
Religion
Christianity
Object type
Statuette
TitleThe Christ Child (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Ivory, mounted on later wood socle
Ivory
Brief description
Statuette, ivory, mounted on later wood socle, 'The Christ Child', Cingalo-Portugese (Sri Lanka), ca. 1650
Physical description
Statuette of a smiling naked figure of the Christ Child with elongated proportions and stylised curly hair stands facing frontally on a low integral pedestal, now mounted on a low pedestal. The arms are missing. The body is broken off at the ankles; the feet and integrally carved base are separate; dowels remain. Surface cracks.
Dimensions
  • Ivory alone height: 14.5cm
Style
Indo-Portuguese
Credit line
Given by Dr W.L. Hildburgh F.S.A. in 1927
Object history
Given by Dr. W.L. Hildburgh F.S.A. in 1927.
Subjects depicted
Boy
Christ Child
Summary
This ivory statuette depicting the naked Christ Child is Cingalo-Portuguese (Sri Lanka), made in ca. 1650. It was formerly thought to be Portuguese and then re-assigned to Goa. Comparisons with similar figures suggest it is in fact from Sri Lanka.
Bibliographic references
  • Estella Marcos, Margarita M. La escultura barroca de marfil en España : las escuelas europeas y las coloniales. Madrid, 1984, II, p. 403, cat. 938
  • Longhurst, Margaret H. Catalogue of Carvings in Ivory. London: Published under the Authority of the Board of Education, 1929, Part II, p. 113
  • Trusted, Marjorie, Baroque & Later Ivories, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2013 p. 385
  • Trusted, Marjorie, Baroque & Later Ivories, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2013, p. 385, cat. no. 380
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
A.63-1927

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O310875/the-christ-child-statuette-unknown/
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