This image of the Christian Virgin and Child was based on a European print, but the artist has imaginatively varied the scene. It was probably made for a Muslim patron because it was added to an Islamic album containing drawings and calligraphies soon after it was made (the colourful borders here are the album page). Christian subjects in Islamic art might be surprising, but the Virgin, Christ, and John the Baptist are respected figures in Islam. The openness of Iran to the outside world in the 17th century brought Europeans to the capital Isfahan. The influence of European works of art on Iranian artists can be seen in their use of perspective, blended shading, and attention to Western motifs.

This panel shows a most famous miracle related to the Catholic missionary Saint Francis Xavier. When Francis was travelling between the islands of Ambon and Seram on his evangelising mission, his ship encountered a storm. To try to calm the seas, he threw his crucifix into the rough waters. The ship managed to dock safely. And as it did, a crab appeared holding the crucifix in its claws, returning it to Francis Xavier. This is one of the most popular episodes from the life of the saint, and served as inspiration for many artworks after his death, including images of crabs. From the panel’s size and high-quality of carving, it was likely commissioned for a church.

Artists in Guangzhou produced beautifully decorated lacquer furniture for export in the 18th and 19th centuries. But this is the only known Chinese lacquer bureau made as a Christian shrine.

This piece is derived from an early 18th-century English form called a “secretary” or a “bureau bookcase”. The interior is enhanced with red and gold lacquer on the serpentine columns and framing elements.

The Crucified Christ was carved in Goa around 1700; and figures of Saint Francis and Saint Anthony flanking him are replacements. The cross at the top and the crowned double-headed eagle (emblem of the Augustinian Order) signal the special function of the piece.