Bust of the Virgin

This bust was probably part of a full-length figure of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception. Remains of paint can be seen in the hair. The object was created in the Portuguese colony of Goa in the seventeenth- century. The style of the facial features, the heavy lidded eyes and the wavy hair respectively, point towards this origin.

Ivory carving had a long tradition on the Indian subcontinent, and elaborate works of art were made, particularly as diplomatic gifts, often presented to Western rulers. From the sixteenth century onwards, the four main missionary Orders, the Augustinians, Jesuits, Dominicans and Franciscans, built churches and aimed to convert the inhabitants of India. The ivories would assist in the presentation of Christian imagery, as well as being exported back to churches, convents and private collectors in Europe.