Rare 18th Century Indo-Portuguese Wooden Tabernacle

Rare 18th Century Indo-Portuguese Wooden Tabernacle.

An interesting example of Christian art in India; this wooden altar tabernacle (shrine for eucharist) from Goa represents the Portuguese evangelization in the lands along the Malabar (southwestern) Coast of India.

By the early sixteenth century, the Portuguese had established themselves in Goa, a small state on the western coast of India, with the goals of dominating the spice trade and promoting the Christian faith. Various Christian religious orders came to Goa at this time to begin the process of converting the mostly Hindu population of Goa. For the mission enterprise, churches were constructed, and small, portable images of the Catholic divine were carved in ivory and wood. Larger wooden sculptures depicting Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and Catholic saints were also created to adorn the interior of the churches. These sacred spaces and divine figures would serve to shelter, teach, and convert the population of Goa to Christianity.

A very good source of information on this period and art can be found on the website of the Museum of Christian Art in Goa: https://museumofchristianart.com/

Size: 58 cm high, 43 cm wide, 25 cm deep.

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This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance

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