A RARE 17TH / 18TH CENTURY SPANISH COLONIAL (PHILIPPINES) ENGRAVED BAPTISMAL SHELL

the carved mother of pearl shell depicting Saint Catherine, flanked by winged putto masks, with her attribute of the sword and wheel beside her, holding the martyr's palm, inscribed 'S. CATERINA VIR. ET. MAR', within a border,

15cm wide

The style of decoration apparent here is typical of the mother of pearl shells that were worked in the Philippines during the 17th and 18th centuries under Spanish rule. Engraving the shell and then highlighting them with lac is a pre-Christian tradition that probably began with the Bontoc people of central Luzon Island in the Philippines, who engraved shells with geometric designs and then used dark ochres to highlight the engraving and wore them on their hips. It is probably this artistic tradition that the Spanish missionaries copied when decorating their baptismal shells. Baptismal shells were used during the Baptism service to scoop holy water from the stoop over the baby's head.

Related Literature: Casal, G. et al, The People and Art of the Philippines, UCLA Museum of Cultural History, 1981.

Provenance: Marie-Claude Fabius, a respected London antiques dealer was passionate about her treasured shell collection, amassed over many years. She descended from a long dynasty of famous Parisian antique dealers.