Carved ivory panel representing Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden

Goa, South India. About 1860

This intricate ivory plaque was carved by Goanese craftsmen for export to the European markets. It shows Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, surrounded by elephants, monkeys and parrots. You can see that Eve holds the tempting apple from the Tree of Knowledge that God had forbidden them to eat.

In the 1600s Indian craftsmen went to the Portuguese settlement in Goa to learn about European objects and how they were made. Although crafted 150 years later, this panel shows the types of work carvers were making for sale in the west.

This painting is on display in our new World Cultures gallery.

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