Model of the Calvary Chapel, Palestine, Bethlehem, Ottoman p - Lot 204

Model of the Calvary Chapel, Palestine, Bethlehem, Ottoman period, second half of the 17th century Small model made of olive wood, decorated with inlaid mother-of-pearl plaques, most of which are cruciform; some are engraved, one with the IHS symbol and another with a diamond-patterned checkerboard design. 6 x 7.9 x 7 cm Some missing pieces and damage. Palestinian models of Christian buildings are significant artifacts from the workshops of Bethlehem and Jerusalem during the Ottoman Empire. These devotional objects, designed for pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land, accurately reproduce the floor plans and elevations of the monuments on a reduced scale and attest to the craftsmanship of Ottoman-era sculptors. Among these monuments, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem is undoubtedly the best known and most impressive, as evidenced by several examples preserved in museums such as the British Museum in London (OA.10338), the Louvre Museum in Paris (RFML.ABCO.2022.28.1.0), and the MUCEM in Marseille (2010.7.1.1-16). The Chapel of Calvary is part of this large complex. The example in the Louvre Museum, attributed to Bethlehem in the second half of the 17th century (RFML.ABCO.2022.29.1.0), features a removable roof adorned with a medallion engraved with a portrait of the Virgin Mary, suggesting the type of ornamentation that graced the roof of our model.