Sinhalese-Portuguese tabernacle masterpiece

Exceptional and of impressive mastery, this tabernacle of pierced and finely carved ivory plaques construction, was produced in Ceylon, present day Sri Lanka, during the period of Portuguese rule[1]. The raw material whiteness and density suggests that it was extracted from Asian elephant tusks, in this instance the autochthonous subspecies Elephas maximus maximus.

            On account of its superb carving quality, it is viable to propose the intervention of a single master carver on its main structure, while the essentially decorative elements, such as the moulded socle, entablature and other architectural details, were likely produced by another artisan from the same workshop.

            The object’s function, as an altar top tabernacle, is implicit in its reduced dimensions and architectural characteristics. The iconography featured in one of the triangular pyramidal roof panels – a chalice raised by two keeling Angels surmounted by the Communion Host and Cross, and crowned by the Holy Ghost - evidences its purpose: the safekeeping of the Communion Hosts, probably in a silver or gold round box or pyx. For its overall qualities it was intended for a small domestic chapel. Regrettably, the absence of inscriptions, heraldic or otherwise, prevents the identification of its owner or of the patron that commissioned it.

            Of architectural design and parallelepiped structure, with a front door of two leaves and pyramidal roof, its format is reminiscent of the prayer houses destined for the protection of Hindu or Buddhist religious images[2]. On the other hand, the construction, of typical joinery techniques, reflects Ceylon’s religious wooden buildings. Equally reminiscent of contemporary local architecture are the lotus flower petals frieze, evident on the stepped socle, and the complex pilasters of slender columns protruding from the corner edges.

The tabernacle copious iconography refers to scenes of the Life of the Christ Child. The larger rectangular plaques that define the structure depict the Visitation, partitioned by the door’s leaves, The Adoration of The Shepherds, The Circumcision and The Flight into Egypt. The four triangular roof panels, in turn, portray The Sleeping Child Christ watched by The Virgin Mary, The Salvator Mundi flanked by Angels, The Virgin Mary with Christ holding The Cross and the Communion Host flanked by Angels.

Such compositions are inspired by printed sources originally engraved by the Wierix brothers and other contemporary Dutch artists, the Adoration of The Shepherds and the Sleeping Child being attributable to Hieronymus Wierix (1553-1619)[3].

The Ceylonese master carver interpretation of these contemporary Dutch prints, most certainly supplied by the Portuguese patron that commissioned the tabernacle, testifies to a considerable knowledge of the European artistic grammar. An object of major historic and artistic relevance as a Catholic art masterpiece produced in Ceylon and fully indigenized, its relevance is nonetheless reinforced by the craftsman mastery. Such level of artistic and religious confluence, or interlacing, associated to the clearly exceptional carving qualities, could only be achievable in Colombo, Portuguese ruled Ceylon capital city, while the iconographic sources point to a manufacture date between 1590 and 1630.

For its age, fragility and delicate openwork carvings, the structure reveals exceptional conservation condition. Despite the very light evidence of use, the minor losses, fractures, and polished surface wear, the tabernacle underwent minor restoration, probably in the 19th century, namely on the door pulls and top finial. These interventions became clear on dismantling the structure for research purposes, its reassembling being scientifically supervised to restore it to its original structural condition. As such, the replacement finial to the top of the roof replicates that on the Ceylon ivory temple (69.0 x 31.5 x 23.5 cm) at the National Museum of Ancient Art, in Lisbon (inv. 1 Div), and the cast silver door fittings follow analogous elements from other extant objects of identical origin and dating[4].

Close inspection of the structure inner surfaces revealed the presence of oxidized copper pins, which would have originally fixed gilt copper sheets to the openwork plaques, as seen in other contemporary objects currently in Lisbon, Vienna and Madrid collections. The current replacement gilt copper linings were made according to materials and techniques identified in an ivory chest (14.8 x 48.4 x 30.3 cm) from Madrid’s National Decorative Arts Museum collection[5], and identically goldleaf gilt and dark shellac coated.

Recently identified and since returned to its original aspect, this altar tabernacle embodies the most relevant addition to the current knowledge of religious carved paraphernalia produced in Portuguese ruled Ceylon. Jewel like, and unparalleled for its structural openwork plaques, it illustrates to perfection the novel type of devotional art introduced by the newly arrived Europeans, in the complex Ceylonese religious landscape. In addition, it is also a powerful testimony to the Tridentine reformed Liturgy in the Portuguese overseas territories, and to the process of artistic indigenization fostered by this religious encounter.