This figure of Mary with the child Jesus is an extraordinary and very rare example of Christian Southeast Asian tribal art. Colonised in the 16th century by the Portuguese, East Timor was one of the earliest areas in the region to experience conversion to Christianity and today Timor, along with the Philippines, are the only Asian nations with a majority Christian population. This particular image is almost certainly a locally made "copy" of a European style image – perhaps a piece from Macao or Goa, both prominent Portuguese colonies, if not from Portugal itself. The figure was probably commissioned by a church or perhaps a particularly devout convert. The faces of the carving mirror those of local ancestor images and it seems almost certain that the carver was trained in the usual local traditions and styles. However, whether they themselves were a convert is a matter of speculation. It is at any rate a most intriguing piece aside from its aesthetic beauty and power.
