Indo-Portuguese School; XVIII century.

Indo-Portuguese School; XVIII century.
"The Good Shepherd".
Carved rosewood.
Presents faults.
Measurements: 15 x 6 x 1,5 cm.
This sculpture represents Christ as the Good Shepherd, one of the earliest and most consolidated iconographies of Christian art. The image shows Jesus standing, holding a lamb on his shoulders while another one is placed between his arms, alluding to the Gospel passage that symbolizes salvation and the care of the faithful soul.
The piece reveals the characteristics of the Luso-Oriental production that emerged in the Indian territories under Portuguese rule, especially in Goa, where the local sculptural tradition merged with European models introduced by the missionaries. The frontal treatment, the stylization of the folds and the anatomical synthesis respond to western devotional schemes, while the expressive hardness of the face and the density of the carving evidence the survival of indigenous techniques and sensibilities.the use of rosewood, gives the work a sober and collected presence, according to its probably domestic or conventual function. The reduced scale and the compact character of the carving suggest a piece destined for private devotion, in the context of the intense evangelizing activity that characterized the Portuguese enclaves in Asia.
In its formal and spiritual synthesis, the sculpture is an eloquent testimony of the artistic dialogue between Europe and the East, typical of the missionary baroque, where Christian iconography was adapted to new cultural contexts without losing its symbolic force.