Mater Dolorosa (Mourning Virgin)

Figure (Sculpture). The Chinese characters on the bottom of this sculpture indicate the colors used for the various patterns on the robes and help catalogue it as a work of art produced by an artist trained in China, as does the style of the rocks upon which the Madonna sits. The mournful expression of the face of the Virgin, the clasped hands, and the seated position are typical of representations of the mourning Madonna (mater dolorosa), an image of the Virgin Mary that represents her sorrows during the sufferings of her Son, a theme that was popular in music and ritual during the eighteenth century. The sculpture was most likely produced either in Fujian Province or by an artist trained in that area but working in the Philippines.

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Date

18th century

Rights

Public Domain

Identifier

MET-64871

Origin

China/ Chinese Artisans in Manila

Connection to Philippines

The sculpture was most likely produced either in Fujian Province or by an artist trained in that area but working in the Philippines.

Materials

Wood with pigments, gilding, ivory and silver

Physical Dimensions

H. 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm); W. 7 1/2 in. (19.1 cm); D. 6 in. (15.2 cm)

Provenance

Purchase, Friends of Asian Art and Mrs. Charles W. Engelhard Gifts, in honor of Brooke Astor's one-hundredth birthday, 2002. [ Tai Sing Fine Antiques Ltd. , Hong Kong, 2001–2; sold to MMA]

Acquisition Date

2002

Short description

Inscription: There is a Chinese inscription on the base indicating the colors used for the various patterns on the robes.

Display status

Not on Display HIstory: New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Arts of the Spanish Americas, 1550–1850: Works from the Museum's Collection," 2002–2003. New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "The "Hundred Antiques"," February 18, 2006–October 31, 2006. Yale University Art Gallery. "Japan and the World 1550–1650," February 23, 2018–May 21, 2018.

References

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 1985–2007. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2008, p. 50.

Official Website

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/64871

Collection

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Source

Record accessed in December 2020
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“Mater Dolorosa (Mourning Virgin),” Mapping Philippine Material Culture, accessed April 16, 2024, https://philippinestudies.uk/mapping/items/show/3123.

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Mapping Philippine Material Culture collates digital material from institutions, and some of this material is inherently colonial and contains words, terms and phrases that are inaccurate, derogatory and harmful towards Filipino and Filipino diasporic communities. Catalogue transcriptions, book titles, exhibition titles and museum titles may contain harmful terms. We recognise the potential for the material to cause physical and mental distress as well as evoke strong emotions. Owing to the scale of the collection’s data, a process to implement sensitive-content warnings in the displayed data is still incomplete. The material within the catalogue does not represent Mapping Philippine Material Culture’s views. Mapping Philippine Material Culture maintains a strong anti-colonial, anti-racist position and affirms its support for centring the humanity of historically marginalised and disenfranchised communities.