Rara escultura de grandes dimensões, em marfim, de Menino Jesus Bom Pastor, trabalho indo-português do séc. XVII.
De grande qualidade escultórica, o Menino apresenta-se sentado sobre um coração que assenta numa peanha prismática, simulando um trono.
A Sua expressão é serena e segue a simbologia da primeira meditação de Buda, como bodhisattva e de Maitreya, dormente e em atitude meditativa, com a cabeça reclinada e apoiando o rosto na mão direita.
Na sua face redonda os seus cabelos desenvolvem-se em caracóis com a forma de cornucópias, a ritmo certo em todo o couro cabeludo caindo, sobre a testa, um caracol mais longo e revirado sobre a testa.
Enverga túnica de pastor, esculpida em losangos de sulcos profundos e cingida na cintura por cordão com nó de laçada, onde está presa a cabaça, um dos seus atributos. No ombro e no regaço duas ovelhas com velo igual à túnica do Menino Jesus.
Está sentado sobre um coração, numa alusão ao Sagrado Coração de Jesus e que simboliza o Seu amor divino para com a HumanidadeNa peanha um querubim alado perfeitamente esculpido, de feições corretas, penteado com os caracóis ao jeito indiano, flores ao peito e emoldurado por uma pequeníssima tarja de perlado. A contornar a base, um friso de pontas de diamante.
A difusão do Cristianismo foi o factor determinante na génese da produção artística indo-portuguesa, arte motivada pela presença portuguesa no Oriente.Jesus Bom Pastor com a missão de ser o Salvador é uma imagem simbólica que vem referenciada em inúmeras parábolas Evangélicas do Novo Testamento: “Eu sou o Bom Pastor…e Eu dou a vida pelas minhas ovelhas.”


Exquisite 17th century Indo-Portuguese ivory sculpture portraying the Child Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Of very high carving quality, the Child features a serene dormant face, in meditative stance, with His reclining head resting against the right hand, following iconography characteristic of the first meditation of Buddha, as bodhisattva and of Maitreya. From the tightly curled hair strands, simulating cornucopias, stands out the one on the forehead, corresponding to the Buddhist Urna.The figure is attired in shepherd’s tunic, carved in deeply grooved lozenges, tied at the waist by a bow knotted cord, from which hangs a gourd, one of its attributes. Over the shoulder and on its lap, rest two sheep whose fleece is identical to the shepherd’s garment.Cross legged, The Child is seated on a heart emerging from a prismatic stand simulating a throne. This representation, materialised in the late Middle Ages, is probably illustrative of Saint Augustine’s theological meditation “Thou hast stricken my heart with Thy word, and I loved Thee”, from Confessions X:6,8, and considered the Saint’s attribute. Later, Saint Theresa’s Mystical Heart Transverberation, in 1560, and the testimony of a Carmelite nun claiming to have seen the Child Jesus resting on Saint Theresa’s heart, would also contribute for this imagery’s dissemination. On the stand’s front, a finely carved winged cherub, of accurate features, Indian style hair curls and flowers to its chest, is framed by a minutely beaded band. Outlining the base, a diamond tips frieze.From the late-16th and through the following century, the increasing impact of the Good Shepherd subject led to the production of numerous carved ivory images, not only as essential missionary tools, but also for exporting. Furthermore, as a major means of communication between the Catholic Church and those it wished to convert, its attempted iconographic blending with native deities, was evident. Although sometimes confused with Saint John the Baptist, this representation corresponds to an adaptation of a Hindu depiction of Lord Vishnu’s sleep. This overlapping resulted from the ecclesiastical hierarchy’s condescendence, in an attempt at facilitating the conversion processes of local populations.The dissemination of Christianity was the determining factor in the origin of the generic Indo-Portuguese artistic production fuelled by the Portuguese presence in the East. Jesus The Good Shepherd, with the mission of being the Saviour, is a symbolic iconography referred in numerous New Testament Evangelical parables: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”Francisco da Gama’s (1565-1632) 1682 inventory, is the earliest mention to this particular imagery, referring: [(…) hū menino Jesu de Marfim sobre hū coração (…)] (an ivory Child Jesus, over a heart).
Teresa Peralta

Bibliography:

- BNP (Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal), Codices, COD. 1986, fls 8V-20V
- Clode, Francisco, “A Madeira Nas Rotas do Oriente”, Funchal: Direção Regional dos Assuntos Culturais, 2008
- Cardoso, Isabel Maria Alçada, Da humildade à caridade: o “coração” em Santo Agostinho, Revista Didaskalia (Vol. 47), Universidade Católica Portuguesa, 2017
- Osswald, Maria Cristina, O Bom Pastor na Imaginária Indo-portuguesa em Marfim (vol. 1), Porto: History of Art MA Dissertation, FLUP, 1996