St Benedict
Statuette
ca. 1750 - ca. 1800 (made)
ca. 1750 - ca. 1800 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
St Benedict wears the black habit of his Order; his mitre and pastoral staff are now missing. This piece was bought in Lisbon in 1865, and is strongly reminiscent of Indo-Portuguese sculpture of the second half of the 18th century. Despite the European style of carving, this figure was probably carved in Goa, produced for the export market to Portugal.
Goa was the second base in India to be established by the Portuguese, having been conquered by Alfonso de Albuquerque (about 1453-1515) during the reign of Manuel I of Portugal initially in 1510, and then reconquered in 1512. Portugal was interested first and foremost in trade, and the discovery of India was motivated by a desire to dominate trade-routes. But the Christian settlers and missionaries were also keen to convert the native populace to Christianity, and religious images in ivory were commissioned to assist in this. Some were exported to Europe, but others evidently remained and were used for evangelical purposes.
Goa was the second base in India to be established by the Portuguese, having been conquered by Alfonso de Albuquerque (about 1453-1515) during the reign of Manuel I of Portugal initially in 1510, and then reconquered in 1512. Portugal was interested first and foremost in trade, and the discovery of India was motivated by a desire to dominate trade-routes. But the Christian settlers and missionaries were also keen to convert the native populace to Christianity, and religious images in ivory were commissioned to assist in this. Some were exported to Europe, but others evidently remained and were used for evangelical purposes.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | St Benedict (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Partly painted ivory and boxwood on ebony base |
| Brief description | Statuette, ivory and boxwood on ebony base, 'St Benedict', Indo-Portuguese (Goa), ca. 1750-1800 |
| Physical description | Statuette of partly gilded ebony and painted ivory depicting St Benedict. The tonsured bearded saint stands resting on his right foot, his left leg bent and stepping forward. He carries a book in his left hand, and his right hand is raised up, as if to grasp a crozier, which is now missing. He wears a pectoral cross, and stands on an elaborately carved ebony socle, on which three fleshy clusters of acanthus leaves in ivory are set. The lips, eyes, eyebrows and beard are painted. The wood is coated in wax. The gilding on the edges of the book is later. A mitre shown in a photograph of 1903 is now missing. A hole has been drilled into the top of the head, almost certainly for a halo. A crack running down the centre of the beard and the face is a natural flaw in the ivory. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | On acquisition the figure was erroneously identified as St Anthony of Lisbon, more commonly known as St Anthony of Padua. Longhurst plausibly suggested that perhaps St Benedict was depicted. The long beard, black habit, and (now missing) mitre and pastoral staff would support this suggestion. Despite the European style of carving, this figure was probably carved in Goa, produced for the export market to Portugal. The smooth style of carving and elegant pose imply it dates from the second half of the eighteenth century. Bought for the Musuem from Señor Silva in Lisbon by John Charles Robinson in 1865. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | St Benedict wears the black habit of his Order; his mitre and pastoral staff are now missing. This piece was bought in Lisbon in 1865, and is strongly reminiscent of Indo-Portuguese sculpture of the second half of the 18th century. Despite the European style of carving, this figure was probably carved in Goa, produced for the export market to Portugal. Goa was the second base in India to be established by the Portuguese, having been conquered by Alfonso de Albuquerque (about 1453-1515) during the reign of Manuel I of Portugal initially in 1510, and then reconquered in 1512. Portugal was interested first and foremost in trade, and the discovery of India was motivated by a desire to dominate trade-routes. But the Christian settlers and missionaries were also keen to convert the native populace to Christianity, and religious images in ivory were commissioned to assist in this. Some were exported to Europe, but others evidently remained and were used for evangelical purposes. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 166-1866 |
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| Record created | November 13, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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