Figure of Mary Magdalene 17th-18th century

sculpture, ivory

website interface

structure

stone

sculpture

dark web

sculptural image

unrealistic statue

sculpting

sculpture

ivory

ruin

statue

This small, anonymous ivory sculpture from the 17th-18th century depicts Mary Magdalene, a significant figure in Christianity. The figure, carved in a realistic style, stands on a simple base and is dressed in flowing robes, with a book held in her left hand. The detail of the folds of her robes and the delicate features of her face are characteristic of European devotional art of this period, likely created for private devotion. This small but finely crafted piece offers a glimpse into the artistic expressions of faith during a significant period in European history.

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minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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The province of Goa in western India was under Portuguese control from 1512–1961, forming a nexus in trading routes that circumnavigated the earth. Goan craftsman were renowned for their supple modeling of ivory (likely exported from Mozambique) into Christian icons, which feed the appetite for luxury products in Europe, as well as furthered evangelical missions throughout Asia and the Americas. Within the genre of Indo-Portuguese ivories, popular subjects include ‘Christ as the Good Shepard’ (the image of Christ as child would have related to similar bronze statuettes of the God Krishna) and the ‘Virgin of the Immaculate Conception,’ which shows Mary atop a crescent moon, both of which remain ever-present icons in South Asia’s diverse religious landscape.