Colonial tabletop lectern, possibly Philippines, 18th century

Colonial table lectern, possibly Philippines, 18th century.
Wooden core; embossed silver.
Measurements: 34 x 34 x 30 cm.

Tabletop lectern from the 18th century with a richly worked and assayed wooden core to serve as a structural support. It is entirely covered with embossed silver, a technique that allows a meticulous modeling of the surfaces, generating a play of volumes and reliefs that contributes to the intense decorative sensation of the whole.

The variegated ornamentation is characteristic of the late baroque taste of the 18th century. It displays a dense repertoire of vegetal motifs intertwined with rocailles and tornapuntas, which cover practically the entire visible surface of the lectern, avoiding empty spaces. In the center of the piece stands out the coat of arms of the Order of St. Augustine, arranged as a compositional axis and identifying element, underlining the liturgical function of the object.

Due to its formal characteristics, the work could be linked to workshops in the Philippines, a territory where the Order of Saint Augustine was established from an early date. Their arrival in 1565, with the expedition of Miguel López de Legazpi and Andrés de Urdaneta, marked the beginning of a prolonged and intense evangelizing work that lasted for more than three centuries.