Sagrada Familia de Condes de Salvatierra
Holy Family / Sagrada Familia
18th Century
FILIPINO
Solid ivory with traces of gilding and polychromy. Mounted on a wooden stand lacquered in the chinoisrie style.
A solid ivory group of the Holy Family [Sagrada Familia] consisting of an image of the Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph and the infant Christ child. The tableau depicts the Holy Family’s journey into Egypt and both St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin are dressed in traveling costumes complete with hats.
The carving of the images are quite exceptional exhibiting many of the features which characterize Philippine ivory sculptures of t he 18th century. The faces of the Virgin is round and moon-shaped considered a feminine attribute of beauty. The face of St. Joseph, on the other hand is more sculpted with high cheekbones. Both the Virgin and St. Joseph exhibit the heavy-lidded eyes recalling the epicanthic fold of oriental eyes.
The hair on all three figures are beautifully rendered in individual strands of the archaic manner. The Virgin’s locks fall in tight, ropy curls at her back. St. Joseph’s hair is shorter but the Montanez forelock is very obvious on St. Joseph’s brow. All three figures have their hair gilded in the Philippine manner of the 18th century.
All three images are dressed in flowing robes that drapes vertically and bunch around the images’s feet allowing the toes to peep through. Both Joseph and the Christ child wear collars typical of those found on 18th century Philippine image. The Virgin’s tunic, however, is draped interestingly around her neck in several folds held together by golden thread stitched around the collar. All three images also display a belt cinched around their waists and tied in a stylized know at the front. This, again, is a very typical artistic feature found on many Philippine images made in the 18th century.
All three images are gilded in a all-around pattern of small flowers and leaves. In many areas, the red bole can be seen where the gilding have rubbed-off over time.
Provenance:
Descended in the Sarmiento family, Counts of Salvatierra, Marquises of Sobroso and Caballeros of Alcantara.
Most likely brought to Spain from the New World by Garcia Sarmiento de Sotomayor, Viceroy of New Spain (November 23, 1642 to May 13, 1648) and later Viceroy of Peru (1648 to 1655).
Notable member of the Sarmiento family include
*Viceroy Garacia Sarmiento de Sotomayor (c. 1595, Spain—June 26, 1659, Lima);
** Don Diego Sarmiento de Acuña, Count of Gondomar and first ambassador of Spain in London twice.
*** Doña Mariana Agustina Sarmiento de Sotomayor , portrayed in Velazquez " Las Maniñas” delivering the clay jar to the Infanta Margarita.
Sagrada Familia de Condes de Salvatierra
Holy Family / Sagrada Familia
18th Century
FILIPINO
Solid ivory with traces of gilding and polychromy. Mounted on a wooden stand lacquered in the chinoisrie style.
A solid ivory group of the Holy Family [Sagrada Familia] consisting of an image of the Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph and the infant Christ child. The tableau depicts the Holy Family’s journey into Egypt and both St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin are dressed in traveling costumes complete with hats.
The carving of the images are quite exceptional exhibiting many of the features which characterize Philippine ivory sculptures of t he 18th century. The faces of the Virgin is round and moon-shaped considered a feminine attribute of beauty. The face of St. Joseph, on the other hand is more sculpted with high cheekbones. Both the Virgin and St. Joseph exhibit the heavy-lidded eyes recalling the epicanthic fold of oriental eyes.
The hair on all three figures are beautifully rendered in individual strands of the archaic manner. The Virgin’s locks fall in tight, ropy curls at her back. St. Joseph’s hair is shorter but the Montanez forelock is very obvious on St. Joseph’s brow. All three figures have their hair gilded in the Philippine manner of the 18th century.
All three images are dressed in flowing robes that drapes vertically and bunch around the images’s feet allowing the toes to peep through. Both Joseph and the Christ child wear collars typical of those found on 18th century Philippine image. The Virgin’s tunic, however, is draped interestingly around her neck in several folds held together by golden thread stitched around the collar. All three images also display a belt cinched around their waists and tied in a stylized know at the front. This, again, is a very typical artistic feature found on many Philippine images made in the 18th century.
All three images are gilded in a all-around pattern of small flowers and leaves. In many areas, the red bole can be seen where the gilding have rubbed-off over time.
Provenance:
Descended in the Sarmiento family, Counts of Salvatierra, Marquises of Sobroso and Caballeros of Alcantara.
Most likely brought to Spain from the New World by Garcia Sarmiento de Sotomayor, Viceroy of New Spain (November 23, 1642 to May 13, 1648) and later Viceroy of Peru (1648 to 1655).
Notable member of the Sarmiento family include
*Viceroy Garacia Sarmiento de Sotomayor (c. 1595, Spain—June 26, 1659, Lima);
** Don Diego Sarmiento de Acuña, Count of Gondomar and first ambassador of Spain in London twice.
*** Doña Mariana Agustina Sarmiento de Sotomayor , portrayed in Velazquez " Las Maniñas” delivering the clay jar to the Infanta Margarita.