Nativity firgure (Magi)

Nativity figure, representing the magi  king , with the head, feet and hands of ivory. His eyes and hair are polychrome. Mahogany interior is articulated using wires. He is dressed in 17th century Spanish fashion. The picture wears a marlota ( robe, a kind of Moorish gown) with a cape, vest without sleeves, narrow and short shirt and shorts. The horse is made of cardboard painted stone. It is part of a set formed by three figures of the Magi on horse for pilgrimmage at a Nativity.

Analysis: The carved hair and painted eyes identify this figure as a Spanish-Philippine colonial ivory. There are  remains of polychrome preserved. Both this figure and the other white king that forms part of the set (PROV 02/02) have physiognomic features reminiscent of those of Spanish monarchs of this period (fly goatee, mustache and mane). They are decked out to the Spanish court fashion of the seventeenth century. BIBLIOGRAPHY: PEREDA, R. and RODRÍGUEZ BERNIS, S. (com.), Don Quixote in his suits, Madrid, 2005, p. 170 [11142].

The production of ivory carvings with western patterns by Filipino artisans focuses from its first creations in the sixteenth century in the religious images of Christ crucified, the Virgin in different invocations and saints that served to reinforce the dogmas of the Church in
those lands. They were worked on both exempted one-piece models, reliefs and as elements for dressing images in which only the head, hands and feet are carved in ivory being the rest of the body made of wood and prepared to be covered with rich vestments as in this case. Group compositions are not frequent although there are  ome known examples of the Holy Family and some Nativity scenes, both among those of Hispanic-Filipino origin as well as among the Indo-Portuguese (M. ESTELLA: Baroque sculpture of ivory in Spain, I, page 86.).

Like Baltasar's horse, this one also wears a pinjante - a metallic icon with a crescent shape on the head and an oriental-looking one in stained glass blue hanging from the harness on the right side.

The three kings wear an ecru silk satin coat or overall with flowers Damask with embroidered plant motifs in gilt silver lamellae stretched out. Although the cuts of these dresses are the same in all cases, silk used varies being identical in those of Melchior and Gaspar while that of King Baltasar differs with floral motifs in yellow. The metallic embroidery designs that adorn the sleeves and trims are different in the three copies.

Share this

  

Images

Map    National Museum of Decorative Arts in Madrid