Pair of altar candlesticks
Primary
Unknown Artist
Date18th century
MediumSilver on wood
DimensionsAdditional Dimension: 28 3/4 × 7 × 9 in. (73 × 17.8 × 22.9 cm)
Credit LineBlanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, Purchase, 2018.279.a-b
Rights Statement
Collection AreaLatin American Art
Object number2018.279.a-b
On View
On viewLocations
- exhibition BMA, Gallery, A12
Collection Highlight
The Portuguese ruled in Goa for over 450 years (1510–1961), a time when Muslim, Hindu, and Catholic cultures mingled to create a unique visual culture that inspired the Portuguese proverb, “Having seen Goa, there is no need to see Lisbon.” The objects in this vitrine are a small token of that richness. The reliquary in the center is shaped to display a bone or a piece of cloth at its center that belonged to a character believed to be holy. Like the candlesticks next to it, it has a wooden foundation covered with thin sheets of silver, most likely mined in Peru or Mexico. The grid pattern of the background emphasizes the embossed flower and leaf motifs, characteristic of Indo-Portuguese artifacts.
Unknown Artist
Late 17th century - early 18th century