.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
A comparable Christ figure is in the Tàvora Sequeira Pinto Collection and illustrated in Pedro Dias, Thailand and Portugal 500 years of a common Past The Art legacy, Coimbra, 2011, p. 26, fig. 19.
Another comparable figure was sold anonymous at Christie's New York, 15-16 September 2011, lot 1283 ($ 40.000). Another larger naked recumbant figure of Christ is in the British Museum, (1882,1028.2)
In the exhibition catalogue Pedro Dias discusses the possibility of a Thai provenance for this rare group of ivory carvings depicting Christ as the good shepherd, laying down asleep.
Although clearly related to the well known Indo-Portuguese figures depicting Christ as the good Shepherd the recumbant depiction is at odds with traditional Christian Iconography. This position is however well known in the Buddhist tradition, and the present figure is (like the entire group) closely related to the Thai representation of this subject matter, the most important examples of these are the huge recumbant Buddhas of Ayuthaya. The sheep could point to an Indo-Portuguese figure but the formal characteristics and technique, the hair curling into bundles, the almond-shaped eyes and the carefull treatment of the hands and feet point to the Luso-Thai production centre. (Pedro Dias, Thailand and Portugal 500 years of a common Past The Art Legacy, Coimbra 2011)
Another comparable figure was sold anonymous at Christie's New York, 15-16 September 2011, lot 1283 ($ 40.000). Another larger naked recumbant figure of Christ is in the British Museum, (1882,1028.2)
In the exhibition catalogue Pedro Dias discusses the possibility of a Thai provenance for this rare group of ivory carvings depicting Christ as the good shepherd, laying down asleep.
Although clearly related to the well known Indo-Portuguese figures depicting Christ as the good Shepherd the recumbant depiction is at odds with traditional Christian Iconography. This position is however well known in the Buddhist tradition, and the present figure is (like the entire group) closely related to the Thai representation of this subject matter, the most important examples of these are the huge recumbant Buddhas of Ayuthaya. The sheep could point to an Indo-Portuguese figure but the formal characteristics and technique, the hair curling into bundles, the almond-shaped eyes and the carefull treatment of the hands and feet point to the Luso-Thai production centre. (Pedro Dias, Thailand and Portugal 500 years of a common Past The Art Legacy, Coimbra 2011)