A South American repoussé, chased and engraved silver ecclesiastical plaque in the Baroque style Probably Bolivia (Upper Peru), late 17th/early 18th century Of two part oval cartouche form decorated with a central figure depicting the Christ child with stylised curls, his hands upheld supporting baskets of pomegranates, his head below a shield engraved with an interlocking initial, M? monogram and a large scallop shell, and flanked by stylised winged putto's heads, above elaborate dense floral and foliate motifs, the the leafy scalloped border interspaced with further small shells, unmarked, later mounted on a modern polished wood shield shaped backplate, the plaque, 76cm high, 64cm wide, the backplate, 95cm high x 71cm wide overall Footnotes: Dating from the late 17th or early 18th century, the offered lot was likely originally intended for use on a retable or tabernacle. The silver used for the plaque was almost certainly mined in Cerro de Potosí, then one of the world's major silver-mining centres. The abundance of silver encouraged the development of a distinctive regional silverworking tradition, known for its elaborate decoration and rich designs. Local workshops competed to demonstrate their technical skill through the production of magnificent liturgical metalwork. For a comparable pair of plaques see Jaime Eguiguren Art & Antiques: https://jaimeeguiguren.com/artworks/categories/3/9705-pair-of-ornamental-plaques-bolivia-upper-peru-17th-century/ For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing