Madonna and Child

Unknown

17th–18th century · Ivory, with yellow to brown patina · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Scholars have long observed a link between this frequently encountered composition and the beloved full-scale sculpture carved by the Sevillian Juan Martínez Montañés about 1605. However, objects found during the recent excavation of the wreck of a 1602 Manila Galleon point to an even earlier dating for some ivory versions. The notching of the garment edges of this example is rarely found in Philippine carvings and may indicate Indo-Portuguese influence.

Artist

Unknown

Date

17th–18th century

Medium

Ivory, with yellow to brown patina

Culture

Hispano-Philippine

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Bequest of Gwynne M. Andrews, 1931