Portuguese Macau and Goa produced beautifully crafted Christian pieces that still reflect the Asian artistic identity. Both these regions have ivory carving traditions predating Christianity. The ivories from India are usually called Indo-Portuguese. African ivory was much preferred by the Indian craftsmen since it was less brittle and could be carved with more detail. Thousands of tusks were imported annually by the end of the sixteenth century. The trade with Europe included decorative objects and furniture as well as religious statues.
Under the direction of Portuguese missionaries, large quantities of ivory sourced from their East African colonies came to be used to carve ecclesiastical statuettes at local workshops by indigenous artisans. Art and artefacts played a pivotal role in their endeavor to disseminate the Christian faith. They built churches and directed local artisans in the making of thousands of Catholic images in wood, bone and ivory, some in large sizes for walls and altars, others small that the evangelists could distribute.
The Jesuits in particular approached the making of such artefacts in a spirit of collaboration with the local population. While they brought iconographic images from Europe to serve as references for the indigenous artisans, they welcomed stylistic interpretations from the existing cultures of India. This led to the distinctive rendering of common figures such as Jesus, Mary and the Christian saints in sculptural styles local to the subcontinent. Various Jesuit missions also recorded the production of Christian statuettes in ivory in the imperial workshops of the Mughal Emperor Akbar around 1580–1595. The influence of Indian traditions can be seen in a lot of sculptures.
Bone sculpture closely resembles ivory sculpture in appearance. While it bears a striking similarity to ivory, it is significantly more affordable. Despite the visual likeness between ivory and bone, they can be differentiated by their density; ivory is denser, resulting in bone sculptures being lighter in weight.
Chimbel’s artistic Vaman Zo family
The Zô family from Chimbel has long been recognized for their exceptional craftsmanship, particularly in the art of carving across diverse materials. As descendants of the Chari community, they migrated from Maharashtra to Goa many years ago, with one branch of the family settling in Chimbel. Their artistry has earned them respect and support from both the church and the local aristocracy. A significant highlight in their legacy occurred when Kashinath Vaman Zô captivated Manuel António Vassalo e Silva, the final Governor-General of Portuguese India, with his ivory carvings. The Governor-General was so impressed by Kashinath’s talent that he facilitated his enrollment in a course in Portugal to further develop his skills. Kashinath’s son, Santosh Zô, upholds the family legacy today, with a primary emphasis on woodworking. His sons, Mihir and Munil, are equally passionate about woodworking.
Muslim-Christian dialogue at the Mughal emperors' court
In 1556, Emperor Akbar learned that two Jesuit priests in Bengal had denied forgiveness to converts who had committed various fraudulent acts concerning government tax collections. The integrity of these priests impressed Akbar, prompting him to invite Fr Julian Pereira from Bengal for a meeting. Following this encounter, he expressed a desire to gain a deeper understanding of Christianity. In 1578, Akbar dispatched two ambassadors to Portuguese Goa, accompanied by a letter requesting the presence of two priests well-versed in scripture. This era witnessed a rich exchange of ideas, during which Goan carpenters acquired the art of inlay using ebony and ivory from Muslim craftsmen.