Devotional statuettes carved in ivory celebrating the Virgin Mary were popular in Europe during the 1600s, and this taste spread to the colonies established by Catholic countries in Asia and the Americas. The three most important locations for production of these ivories were the Portuguese colonies in Goa, where this piece was made, the island of Sri Lanka, and the Spanish colony of the Philippines.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Acquired by Henry Walters, Baltimore; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.
Exhibitions
2018-2019
The Jeweled Isle: The Art of Sri Lanka. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles.