Child Jesus Of La Boule. Ivory. Hispano-philippine School, 17th Century.

Infant Jesus of the Ball. Ivory. Hispano-Filipino School, 17th century.
Infant Jesus in carved ivory, polychrome in some specific areas and placed on a carved and gilded wooden base. It has very pronounced curves and movements, as well as a very studied decoration based on plant elements. From an iconographic point of view, this figure of the Infant Jesus standing, holding the orb of Creation in one hand and blessing with the other, is known as the "Boy with the Ball", and has a strong relationship with that of the Salvator Mundi, known among other things for paintings such as that of Leonardo da Vinci, but very widespread from the end of the European Middle Ages (the adult Salvator Mundi would appear in Northern Europe in the second half of the 14th century). This piece responds to the popularization of a large number of iconographies of the Infant Jesus that occurred in the Baroque period. Nudity is common in this type of sculpture, as these are works designed to be dressed and decorated with velvet, silk, embroidery, silver, etc. From an aesthetic point of view, this sculpture is similar to examples of the Spanish Baroque school of the 17th century. Note the hairstyle, which is slightly reminiscent of the work of Martínez Montañés, to name one. Compare, for example, with the Child preserved in the "Sala Marfiles" of the Museum of Mexican History in Monterrey (Nuevo León, Mexico), or with the 17th-century Filipino Infant Jesus in ivory from the Museum of America in Madrid, or with the 18th-century Filipino Hispano from the Patricia Phelps de Cisneros collection preserved at the Middlebury College Museum of Art (Vermont, United States). Religious ivory sculptures were doubly appreciated for the prestige and richness of the material and for their subject matter in an era such as the Baroque, focused on the defense of Catholicism in certain regions and eager to demonstrate power and influence like all the others. In this case, the "exotic" factor must also be taken into account, since it is a Hispano-Filipino piece: in addition to the peninsular influence, it is possible to see the "touch" of Filipino artists (Chinese settled in the islands, locals, etc.) in these works with slightly slanted eyes, bulging eyelids, etc. Although they were sometimes made and commissioned for the private chapels of the upper classes of the time, it is common for this type of sculpture to have been preserved in religious centers of great importance, where they were found as donations.
It has a CITES certificate. Valid for the European Union. - EU only
Size: 11x11x29 cms. Height child 20 cms