A Sinhalese Tabernacle Masterpiece, Ceylon (possibly Colombo), circa 1590–1630.
Sacred Craft: A Sinhalese Ivory Tabernacle
A rare Sinhalese ivory tabernacle, blending delicate craftsmanship with European devotional imagery, presented by Mário Roque.
Overview
This small Sinhalese tabernacle, made of ivory and gilt copper, around 1590–1630, is remarkable for its beauty, craftsmanship, and historical importance. Its delicate openwork panels are unlike anything else from Portuguese-ruled Ceylon, revealing extraordinary skill in miniature carving. The scenes on the tabernacle, inspired by European prints, depict the life of the Christ Child, and illustrate the adaptation of European religious ideas by local craftsmen. Designed for a small domestic chapel, it is both a functional devotional object and a unique example of cultural exchange, blending European and Ceylonese artistic traditions in a single, jewel-like piece.
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