Indo-Portuguese ivory carving depicting a Virgin, Goa, 17th century

Height x width x depth: 11.6 x 4.1 x 2.8 cm. Weight: 89 g

elephant ivory carving (Elephas maximus Linnaeus, 1758, or Loxodonta africana Blumenbach, 1797) carved in the round to depict a female figure, likely a Madonna, created in Goa in the 17th century.
This piece is a typical example of Indo-Portuguese art, a style that emerged from the cultural encounter between European Catholic religious art and local Indian artisanal traditions during the Portuguese colonial period.
The figure is carved in ivory, a precious material typical of Goan artistic production, renowned for its meticulous craftsmanship. The Madonna is depicted wearing a long, draped robe that flows down to her feet, with a mantle covering her shoulders and draping along the sides of her body. Her face is oval-shaped, with delicate yet stylized features, and her long hair, carefully incised, falls over her shoulders. The arms are missing.
The details of the face and drapery are rendered with a certain attention to detail, yet exhibit stylized traits characteristic of Indo-Portuguese sculptures. The figure also features a belt tied around the waist, a common decorative element in representations of the period.

Similar depictions of the Madonna were created in Goa to meet the demands of Portuguese colonizers and Catholic missionaries who desired devotional objects for use in churches or homes. The introduction of Christian religious figures into an Indian context led to the creation of these sculptures with Christian iconography and Indian techniques. This figure may have been used for private devotion or as a votive object.

This lot, accompanied by a CITES certificate and expertise issued by Ce.S.Ar Centro studi archeometici, is only available for sale with shipments within the European Union.