The Holy Family

Sculptural group of “The Holy Family, late-18th/early-19th c, carved ivory figural group with traces of polychrome mounted on a wood base.

Sculptural group of “The Holy Family, late-18th/early-19th c, carved ivory figural group with traces of polychrome mounted on a wood base.

Name/Title

The Holy Family

Entry/Object ID

2007.10

Description

Hispano-Philippine. Sculpture of the Holy Family, late-18th, early-19th c. Philippines. Carved ivory figural group with traces of polychrome mounted on a wood base.

Artwork Details

Medium

Ivory, Polychromed, Wood

Made/Created

Time Period

18th Century, 19th Century

Dimensions

Dimension Description

Joseph

Height

6 in

Dimension Description

Mary

Height

5-3/4 in

Dimension Description

Jesus

Height

3-1/4 in

Dimension Description

Base

Height

9-3/4 in

Width

5 in

Depth

3 in

Interpretative Labels

Label

This Hispano-Philippine ivory sculpture was likely made by a Chinese artist in the Philippines for a Spanish customer, either in Spanish America or the Iberian Peninsula. It demonstrates the convergence of Western subject matter and Asian materials and reflects the global reach of the Spanish empire, whose territories included the Philippines and Spanish America. From 1565 to 1815, Spanish trading ships, known as the Manila Galleons, traveled the world exchanging goods between Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Artists carved small-scaled devotional objects out of precious materials such as ivory for an elite clientele. Esta escultura hispanofilipina fue posiblemente realizada por un artista chino en las Filipinas para un cliente español, bien de Hispanoamérica o de la Península. Muestra la convergencia de un tema occidental con materiales asiáticos, y refleja el alcance global del imperio español cuyos territorios incluían las Filipinas e Hispanoamérica. Desde 1565 hasta 1815, los galeones de Manila (barcos de comercio españoles) surcaron los mares para intercambiar productos entre Europa, las Américas y Asia. Fue común la talla de pequeños objetos devocionales para una clientela de elite; en su producción se utilizaba materiales valiosos como el marfil.