Featured Early Jesuit Silver Cup & Spoon made by "Chiquitanos" (Bolivia)

Hi there!

Hoping the resident experts here can be of assistance. I was gifted these items by an elderly friend who was given this ornate silver cup & spoon while she was traveling Bolivia over 50 years ago. Apparently they're early Jesuit made by the "Chiquitanos" for a missionary church in Santiagio de Chiquitos, Bolivia.

I was hoping to try and establish an approximate value on what these sort of things can go for and if it's worth my time/expenses in finding an expert on these types of items/history who can assist in verifying their authenticity as well as a more definitive value on them in the case that I wish to auction them in the future.

There doesn't appear to be any makers mark, which I wouldn't have expected considering their history. Hopefully these pictures will suffice in giving you an idea of what I have, otherwise if more is needed please don't hesitate to ask.









Many thanks!

 

They look really old to me and quite believable that they are Jesuit - I wouldn't worry about them being unmarked if they were mine.
As far as value? Well, that is a difficult thing to establish. Unless you can source a recent sale of comparable items, your best bet would be to contact a specialist in antique ecclesiastical items - like an auction house that has Latin American art and antique sales - I believe both of the big two in New York hold sales like that in November.

 

Thanks a lot blooey, I'll do a little googling for any potential specialists in antique ecclesiastical items here in the country I reside (Australia), but if no luck I might have to look abroad.

 

These are amazing, navieko. And welcome.
In general, Jesuits in the Andean countries set up training centres for local artisans to make religious artifacts and art. So I think this would have been made by a local who was trained by the Jesuits.
There is a clear mix of the two traditions, which is a hallmark of the wonderful Andean style. The little guy on the spoon looks like he just attended the Inti Raymi festival.

You can contact the 'Museo del Tesoro' in Sucre, Bolivia. Tesoro means treasure. Sucre is the official capital of Bolivia and former silver capital of the world.
(Bolivia has two capital cities, La Paz is the administrative capital)
I couldn't find an email address, but they seem to be on Facebook. This is the other contact info I could find:

Plaza 25 de Mayo Nro 59 Interseccion Calle Aniceto Arce,
Sucre Bolivia
+591 67653500

Otherwise try one of the big international auction houses.

Will you give us a follow up?

 

Ah, found the Facebook page. They're closed now, covid is hitting Bolivia badly, but maybe someone checks messages and can pass them on to an expert.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Art-Museum/Museo-del-Tesoro-1624003037888577/

 

Thanks a lot for the info Any Jewelry! Sounds like a great recommendation, will check them out for sure. And again many thanks for the links! Will keep yas posted!

 

The cup is a ciborium.

Addendum: Is that the priest on the handle of the spoon? Or am I seeing a person where there is just decoration? Having grown up in the Protestant tradition, I had never seen a spoon used in a liturgical capacity. From what Wikipedia tells me, giving the communion wine in spoonfuls is a practice of the Eastern church; the Roman church uses a perforated spoon for a different purpose. Doubt the spoon was for Jesuit soup. A little mystery here.

Just as a baseline on value, you would need to determine the quality of the silver.

 

It looks like a native Aymara or similar in festive dress, that is why I said he looks like he just attended the Inti Raymi festival.
I got the wrong nation though, the neighbours of the Aymara. Inti Raymi is a Quechua (Inca) Sun God festival, but the Aymara probably have something similar.

 

Hi,
The Anglican church always used a fancy spoon to add incense to the Sensor.
greg

 

As has the Roman Catholic church, which the Jesuits belonged to.