In the field of Hispanic-Philippine ivory carving, among the most cultivated iconographies that underwent significant development are those that represented Christ at the time of his crucifixion, with countless examples preserved in both the Iberian peninsula and New Spain, and the mainland. However, within this iconography, examples that embody the Redeemer at the precise moment of death stand out in of numbers; such is the case of the two interesting pieces we are looking at here: two inspirational crucifixes executed in ivory.[1] The representation of this age allows in the full breadth of artistic expressions, certain license with regard to anatomical morphology and expressiveness, pertaining to the physical and mental metamorphoses that the body of Christ underwent right at the moment of death.
Both Christs share the composition, showing the body fastened to the cross by three nails; torso and legs are shown in a vertical line, while the arms exert a lifting force wanting to be placed in parallel to the scaffold, without success. The neck muscles are in tension and the head bends backwards, raising the gaze with his mouth slightly open, exhaling his last breath. The face has ostensible formal beauty and a pathetic expression, in which the eastern features are largely muted: somewhat bulging and slanted eyes; mouth with full lips parted, in which the teeth can be distinguished; beard starting with soft curls at the ends, and hair that falls to his shoulders in curling ringlets. A thick braided crown of thorns is violently twisted onto the skull. One of the representations, the one that shows a tree-like cross, has a naturalistic and masterfully smooth anatomy which, despite showing the outlines of the muscles, seems to be modeled to create an interesting play on volumes, mainly in the torso area. In the other somewhat more archaically executed piece, the anatomy is highlighted by a deeper incision in the material, especially in the areas of the pectorals, abdomen and ribs. Similarly, it appears to us to have some Indo-Portuguese influence, whose dominant feature is the zigzagging cut of the hair and beard, culminating in the typical tight curls, although not presenting the "tuft" on the chin above the beard. The loincloth is very similar in both creations, almost flat with low volumes; it presents its folds horizontally and almost parallel, with a vertical fold in the center. In addition, the higher quality piece has a twist with lacing on its left flank.
These types of medium-sized works came from trade with the Orient, which centered around two points of particular relevance: the fairs of Manila in the Philippines and those of Acapulco in Mexico. It started with the discovery of the so-called Acapulco Galleon Route in 1565 by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Andres de Urdaneta when goods coming from the Orient filled the fairs in Manila and were acquired by Spanish merchants and colonists of New Spain. These products were exhibited once more upon arrival at the port of Acapulco, organized primarily as a trade gathering. Known as the Manila Galleon or the Nao of China (China boat), this event was highly successful, because it comprised a wide variety of pieces: ivory, Hindu precious stones, silks, Chinese porcelain, damasks, tapestries and perfumes were some of the goods traded at the fairs.[2]
In the specific case of material from which our crucifixes are made, we should state that ivory was a symbol of luxury and high esteem, as well as of financial and social power for the owner of the piece; hence many of these works are kept in private collections. Occasionally, the very tusk posed limitations on execution due to its natural curvature, although some craftsmen have taken advantage of this to afford their works with beautiful arcs.[3]
The presence of these crucifixes in the repertoire of the Museum is an example of the evident quality held in its collection, which covers a large geographic and technical diversity, in which Hispanic-Philippine ivory carving has demonstrated its important role in this type of work, originally carved by Chinese known as sangleyes, meaning "those who have come to market".
[1]. The study of these pieces should not overlook the review of the work of Estella, 1984.
[2]. The bibliography on the Manila Galleon is ample and diverse. To highlight only some specialized journal articles, see Porras Camuñez, 1989: 31-40; Torres Lopez, 2008: 235-244; in the artistic field, see Ruiz Gutierrez, 2007: 159-167.
[3]. This occurs, for example, in a beautiful crucifix preserved in Seville. See Roda Peña, 2005: 319-326.
Sources:
Estella Marcos, Margarita, La escultura barroca de marfil en España: las escuelas europeas y las coloniales, Madrid, CSIC-Instituto Diego Velazquez, 1984.
Porras Camúñez, Jose Luis, “El Galeon de Manila”, in Estudios sobre Filipinas y las islas del Pacífico, Madrid, AEEP, 1989.
Roda Peña, Jose, “Un crucificado hispano-filipino de marfil en el Hospital del Pozo Santo de Sevilla”, Laboratorio de Arte. Revista del Departamento de Historia del Arte, no. 18, 2005.
Ruiz Gutierrez, Ana, “La ruta comercial del Galeon de Manila: el legado artistico de Francisco Samaniego”, in Goya. Revista de Arte, no. 318, 2007.
Torres Lopez, Carmen, “Andres de Urdaneta y el Galeon de Manila”, in Revista General de Marina, no. 3, 2008.
