Fragment Physical Object


Accession Number
1986.008.0035c
Alternate object names
Fragment from a figure of the Madonna & Child
Creation Date
circa 1600
Materials
Description
Cast bronze. One of three aura fragments which were applied to the back of Madonna figurine. See also 1986.008.0035a, b, d.
Dimensions

1.6 x 0.7 x 0.1 cm. 0.41 grams

Exhibition Label
Case Caption (2023):

RELIGIOUS DEVOTIONS

Spain’s empire was won by conquest and the Spanish believed that their laws, leaders, and the Roman Catholic religion were superior to Indigenous customs, rulers, and spiritual practices.

Priests came to provide emigrants with spiritual support but also to convert Indigenous people. They hastened conversions by asserting that Jesus and the Virgin Mary were bigger, better manifestations of local gods. The Virgin Mary was quickly identified with Pachamama, the goddess of the earth. In 1532, the church that became Lima Cathedral was built on top of a major shrine to Inti, the Inca sun god and the palace of an Inca prince. The Spanish used this suppressive strategy successfully throughout their colonies.
Object Caption (2023):

Statuette of the Virgin Mary
Bronze (c.1600)
Gift of Jamestown Inc.
1986.008.0035a-d