{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O106988"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O106988/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AD1326/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AD1326/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AD1326","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JY0788","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O106988/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O106988","accessionNumber":"A.43-1928","objectType":"Statuette","titles":[{"title":"Christ as the Good Shepherd","type":"generic title"},{"title":"The Good Shepherd","type":""}],"summaryDescription":"This Christ Child on an ivory seat would originally have been the main figure of a larger group showing the Mount of the Good Shepherd. It would have been placed at the top of the composition. This is a  common subject in Indo-Portuguese ivories, and seems to be unique to Goa, which was the second base in India to be established by the Portuguese. It had been conquered by Alfonso de Albuquerque (about 1453-1515) during the reign of Manuel I of Portugal initially in 1510, and then reconquered in 1512. Portugal was interested first and foremost in trade, and the discovery of India was motivated by a desire to dominate trade-routes. But the Christian settlers and missionaries were also keen to convert the native populace to Christianity, and religious images in ivory were commissioned to assist in this. Some were exported to Europe, but others evidently remained and were used for evangelical purposes. From the sixteenth century onwards, the four main missionary Orders (Augustinians, Jesuits, Dominicans and Franciscans) built churches and aimed to convert the inhabitants of India. Despite the control of the Church over subject matter, the iconography of Indian art also permeated Christian ivories; the most obvious and at the same time strangest instance of this is the 'Mount of the Good Shepherd'. Although the precise parallels and/or sources in Indian are uncertain, this distinctive composition recurs again and again in Goan ivories. Often the Christ is shown asleep, recalling images of the Buddha in Indian art.\r\n\n","physicalDescription":"Carved polychromed ivory depicting Christ as the Good Shepherd. He sits with ankles crossed, leaning his cheek against his right hand, and wearing a gourd at his waist. He holds a lamb in his left hand, while another sits on his shoulder. The figure rests on a simple ivory seat. The hair is painted dark brown. Remains of pigment can be seen on the eyes, lips and costume.\n","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ivory","id":"AAT11857"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"},{"text":"painting","id":"x30598"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Carved ivory with traces of paint.","categories":[{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Christianity","id":"THES48978"},{"text":"Religion","id":"THES48900"}],"styles":[{"text":"Indo-Portuguese","id":"x43853"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2006AD1326","2017JY0788"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"005","id":"THES395346"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Statuette","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Goa","id":"x29824"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1650","earliest":"1645-01-01","latest":"1654-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given to the V&A by Miss  D. Baldwin in 1928.","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"16.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"This object was created in the Portuguese colony of Goa in the seventeenth-century. It was given to the V&A by Miss D. Baldwin in 1928. The figure was almost certainly originally placed at the apex of a mount, as comparisons with other similar groups make clear. \n\nHistorical significance: Similar ivories are to be found in most large collections and there are several exemplars of this subject in the V&A.","historicalContext":"Goa (on the West Coast of India) was a Portuguese colony at this time, and the style of carving combines Indian with European traditions. This subject is particular to Goan Indo-Portuguese ivories.","briefDescription":"Statuette, carved polychromed ivory, 'Christ as the Good Shepherd', Indo-Portuguese (Goa), ca. 1650","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Longhurst, Margaret H. <font -u>Catalogue of Carvings in Ivory.</font> London: Published under the Authority of the Board of Education, 1929, Part II, p. 114"},{"reference":{"text":"Theuerkauff, Christian, ed. <u>Elfenbein, Sammlung Reiner Winkler</u>, Vol I (of two volumes), Munich, 1984","id":"AUTH330049"},"details":"p. 225","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Trusted, Marjorie, <u>Baroque & Later Ivories</u>, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2013","id":"AUTH329728"},"details":"p. 371","free":"Trusted, Marjorie, <u>Baroque & Later Ivories</u>, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2013, p. 371, cat. no. 365"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Jesus Christ","id":"N1515"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"lambs","id":"x30134"},{"text":"shepherd","id":"AAT25617"},{"text":"gourd","id":"AAT11870"}],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"Christianity","id":"AAT73711"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"This Christ Child on an ivory seat would originally have been the main figure of a larger group showing the Mount of the Good Shepherd. It would have been placed at the top of the composition.","date":{"text":"March 2009","earliest":"2009-03-01","latest":"2009-03-31"}}],"partNumbers":["A.43-1928"],"accessionNumberNum":"43","accessionNumberPrefix":"A","accessionYear":1928,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-09-21","recordCreationDate":"2004-11-01","availableToBook":false}}