Circular alms dish worked in embossed silver plate. A wide rim with an undulating border decorated with a classic laurel wreath, formed by leaves with their fruits or berries, encircled by molded cord boarders, the interior has an indented leaf boarder.
The hollowed part of the recipient, which is slightly concave, is decorated with six acanthus leaves, which form a six-petal flower radiating out from a plain central circle with a truncated cone, which acts as a pedestal for the insignia represented in a plate or medal form. Without a doubt the figure in relief of the Sacred Heart of Jesus with a mandorla and a cross on his shoulders was added later. All of the decoration spreads out on striped and dotted backgrounds in contrast with the polished surfaces of the decorative motifs in relief.
It is clear that the piece was wrought in New Spain, where this type of circular alms dish completely covered with radial vegetal decoration and with a central button for a religious figure, mainly in cast silver, became popular in the seventeenth century.[1] However, the lack of marks or inscriptions makes it difficult to give it a place of origin; only through an analysis of the decorative forms and style can we establish an approximate timeline.
From this perspective, in its decorative vocabulary the baroque style is evident together with the beginnings of neoclassicism. The chaos of the decoration is characteristic of the first style, as well as the borders with its undulating edges and the laurel around the rim, which are present in alms dishes from the end of the seventeenth century.[2] However, the acanthus rosette in the center and the laurel wreath around the edge place the piece within the transition towards a classical style, from there we can fix a date around the last years of the eighteenth century. However, the significant anachronism and the weight of popular tradition placed on this type of pieces means it is not possible to rule out whether it was in fact made in during the nineteenth century, a period in which they continued to make alms dishes to order in Mexico for churches, brotherhoods and guilds.[3]
[1]. Cf. Anderson, 1941, II: sheets 71-72 and 81; Esteras Martin, 1992: pages 153-154, nº 42, pages 187-188, nº 48, and pages 234-235, nº 84; AA VV, 1994: page 72, nº 151, 152 and 156, page 81, nº 158, page 82, nº 154, pages 110-111, nº 245-246.
[2]. An alms dish from a private collection marked in Mexico at the end of the seventeenth century and another example with the figure of Archangel Michael serve as points of reference. Cf. AA VV, 1997: pages 224-225, nº 95, and pages 268-269, nº 128.
[3]. Cf. AA VV, 1994: pages 110-111, nº 240-244.
Sources:
AA VV, La Plateria Mexicana, Mexico, INAH, 1994.
AA VV, Tesoros de Mexico. Oro precolombino y plata virreinal, Sevilla, Fundación El Monte, 1997.
Anderson, Lawrence,El arte de la plateria en Mexico, 1519-1936, New York, Oxford University, 1941.
Esteras Martin, Cristina,La plateria del Museo Franz Mayer. Obras escogidas. Siglos XVI-XIX, Mexico, Franz Mayer Museum, 1992.
