Lot 413
18th Century Engraved Baptismal Shell, Spanish Colonial Philippines. Gorgeous, rare, highly detailed mother-of-pearl-shell with a scene of Saint Anthony of Padua most likely from colonial Philippines from the 18th century possibly earlier. Anthony of Lisbon, was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order and known for his devotion to the poor and sick. This shell and others of the period were used at a baptismal font to scoop up water for pouring over an infant's head during the ceremony. The use of shells aligns with the idea of water and life. Baptismal shells are very scarce but there is a pre-Christian tradition of native peoples of the Philippines wearing hip ornaments of shells engraved with geometric designs and highlighting with dark paints, and these Christian tributes are a logical extension centuries later. Shell has been kept archived safely for years and the detail is extraordinary. There is small fissure in the top layer of the mother-of-pearl layer that is original about 1½ inches in length that in no way impacts the beauty nor does it compromise the integrity of the shell. Stunning piece. $900 - 1,200
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| Realized $288 |
