A partially painted and gilt elephant ivory sculpture of the Child Christ as Salvator Mundi, standing on a large orb, symbolising sovereignty over the world. The figure raises His right hand in blessing, while holding in the left, a later silver long staff cross.

On account of its iconography and stylistic features, the present figure belongs to a second, well defined group of Ceylonese ivory carvings conceived for private Christian devotion, being a particularly fine Mannerist example. It incorporates some of the most important features of this imagery: an egg-shaped globe, which contrary to other more common examples, is carved separately from the figure – a characteristic of later Goan devotional carvings, and a clenched left fist for holding a staff cross.

Albeit carved in two sections, and apart from the typically Ceylonese rendition of the Child’s face, ears and Buddha-like hair curls, the figure’s origin is unmistakable on the basis of the rare engraved orb decoration: bands of waved foliage scroll motifs, carved in deep low relief and coated in gold leaf, a type of decorative detail which, even though unknown in surviving devotional ivory sculptures, is present on some rare ivory caskets from Ceylon intended for the Portuguese court. Such is the case of a recently published casket dating to the second-half of the 16th century, one other, possibly from the same workshop, in the Távora Sequeira Pinto collection in Oporto, and a box at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (inv. 205-1879).[1]

Curiously the Child’s hair was gilded using shell gold (ground gold particles suspended in a liquid medium), rather than gold leaf, a technique seen on Buddhist imagery surfaces when a matte surface was intended.

The long-lasting impression left by devotional Ceylonese ivory carvings made for the Portuguese market, was recorded first-hand by Jan Huygen van Linschoten (1563-1611), author of the famous Itinerario published in 1596. While in Goa, in the service of the Portuguese archbishop Vicente Fonseca, the author refers to a Crucified Christ ivory sculpture about forty-five centimetres long, that had been offered to the prelate, as having been produced in such excellent and diligent way that his hair, beard, and face seemed as natural as if that of a living person, and so finely carved, with limbs so well proportioned, that one would fail to see similar pieces made in Europe.

Stemming from an ivory carving tradition promptly exploited by the Portuguese, whether missionaries willing to commission the imagery necessary for the indoctrination of new converts, or state officials in the Portuguese State of India, the production of Catholic cult figures in Ceylon achieved huge fame and prestige all over Asia, having been the starting point and dissemination centre for an industry that, once the island was lost to the Dutch in 1658, was most likely transferred to Goa.[2]

Hugo Miguel Crespo

Centre for History, University of Lisbon

Bibliography:

CRESPO, Hugo Miguel (ed.), A Arte de Coleccionar. Lisboa, a Europa e o Mundo na Época Moderna (1500-1800). The Art of Collecting. Lisbon, Europe and the Early Modern World (1500-1800), Lisboa, AR-PAB, 2019.

FERRÃO, Bernardo, Imaginária Luso-Oriental, Lisboa, Imprensa Nacional-Casa da Moeda, 1982.

GSCHWEND, Annemarie Jordan, BELTZ, Johannes (eds.), Elfenbeine aus Ceylon. Luxusgüter für Katharina von Habsburg (1507-1578) (cat.), Zürich, Museum Rietberg, 2010.

SILVA, Nuno Vassallo e, "«Engenho e Primor»: a Arte do Marfim no Ceilão. «Ingenuity and Excellence»: Ivory Art in Ceylon", in Nuno Vassallo e Silva (ed.), Marfins no Império Português. Ivories in the Portuguese Empire , Lisboa, Scribe, 2013, pp. 87-141.

SOUSA, Maria da Conceição Borges de, "Ivory catechisms: Christian sculpture from Goa and Sri Lanka", in Alan Chong (ed.), Christianity in Asia. Sacred art and visual splendour (cat.), Singapore, Asian Civilisations Museum, 2016, pp. 104-111.

[1] For the recently published casket, see Hugo Miguel Crespo (ed.), A Arte de Coleccionar. Lisboa, a Europa e o Mundo na Época Moderna (1500-1800). The Art of Collecting. Lisbon, Europe and the Early Modern World (1500-1800), Lisboa, AR-PAB, 2019, pp. 202-209, cat. 23.

[2] On Ceylonese ivory carvings, both secular and religious, see Bernardo Ferrão, Imaginária Luso-Oriental, Lisboa, Imprensa Nacional-Casa da Moeda, 1982; Annemarie Jordan Gschwend, Johannes Beltz (eds.), Elfenbeine aus Ceylon. Luxusgüter für Katharina von Habsburg (1507-1578) (cat.), Zürich, Museum Rietberg, 2010, maxime cat. nos. 12, 18-19, 21-23, 50-52; Nuno Vassallo e Silva, "«Engenho e Primor»: a Arte do Marfim no Ceilão. «Ingenuity and Excellence»: Ivory Art in Ceylon", in Nuno Vassallo e Silva (ed.), Marfins no Império Português. Ivories in the Portuguese Empire , Lisboa, Scribe, 2013, pp. 87-141; and Maria da Conceição Borges de Sousa, "Ivory catechisms: Christian sculpture from Goa and Sri Lanka", in Alan Chong (ed.), Christianity in Asia. Sacred art and visual splendour (cat.), Singapore, Asian Civilisations Museum, 2016, pp. 104-111.