Relief, ivory, 'The Lamentation at the Foot of the Cross', Cingalo-Portuguese (Sri Lanka) or Sino-Portuguese (Macau), ca. 1600

Relief, ivory. The Virgin, haloed and veiled, stands slightly bowed with her hands crossed on her breast, as it were, under the right arm of the Cross. She is looking down on St. Mary Magdalene, veiled, seated at the foot of the Cross and embracing it. On the left of the Virgin and set behind her, one of the other Maries, haloed and veiled, looks up at the scourge symbolically displayed against the background. The third Holy Woman, also Mary, stands behind St. Mary Magdalene and the Cross, with her back to the Cross but turning her head, haloed and veiled towards the Virgin. Under the left arm of the Cross stands St. John the Evangelist, haloed, long-haired, beardless, his right hand on his breast, his left hand holding a book. Abover him, slightly to his right are symbolically displayed the three nails and a hammer. The scene is set on a narrow ledge.

Ivory has at some time broken into two sections. The break follows the left side of the Cross and Mary Magdalene. The top of the panel is rounded off at the corners and the right hand corner has broken away; the break cuts through the handle of the hammer and passes behind the halo of St John the Evangelist. Two small incisions towards the bottom of the panel on both sides are presumably for fixing. A narrow rectangular cavity with a less depp section in the centre has been cut at the foot of the panel. A large part of the lower edge of this cavity has broken away. The ivory appears to be stained with patches of dark pigmentation.

Given by Miss H.C.Alexander, London, in 1965

Although formerly thought to be Spanish, the relief is almost identical with one in the collection of João Teixera in Lisbon, exhibited in Brussels in 1991 and there catalogued as Sino-Portuguese (Macau or Canton). The composition is thought to depend from an engraving after the Antwerp painter Marten de Vos (1532-1603), but no specific source is known.

The panel was presumably part of a complex, either a small altar or antpendium or a frame of some sort. This is thought to be a Portugues colonial ivory, either Sri Lankan or from Macau.

This ivory relief depicts the Lamentation at the foot of the Cross. It is thought to be a Portuguese colonial ivory and to be from Sri Lanka or Macau. It was probably originally part of either a small altar or frame.
Although formerly thought to be Spanish, the relief is almost identical with one in the collection of João Teixera in Lisbon, exhibited in Brussels in 1991 and there catalogued as Sino-Portuguese (Macau or Canton). Another relief, which was clearly from the same group was thought to be from Sri Lanka. It is difficult to attribute ivories from this group more accurately, although those mentioned here must surely come from the same workwhop. The composition is thought to depend from an engraving after the Antwerp painter Marten de Vos (1532-1603), but no specific source is known.

A.1-1965