Missal stand (atril)
The bold floral and figurative work on this missal stand is similar to that seen in the preceding ornamental plaques. The stand is perhaps most notable for its inclusion of the mountain viscacha, an animal indigenous to South America. A member of the chinchilla family, this small and timid plant-eating rodent with large rabbitlike ears became a popular decorative element in silver and textiles of the postconquest period. The passion flower is depicted as a strawberry-shaped fruit on the side of the stand.
The missal stand is intended to support a copy of the liturgical book of the Roman rite that is used by the priest during Mass. The stand would have been placed nearby on the altar so that the officiant could refer to it as needed. Because of its orientation toward the congregation, the missal stand was finished on the front and two sides but left open and unfinished at the back.
This text has been adapted from "Silver of the Americas, 1600-2000," edited by Jeannine Falino and Gerald W.R. Ward, published in 2008 by the MFA. Complete references can be found in that publication.
NOTE: According to Alphonse Jax at the time of the sale, this entered the United States from Argentina and was cleared by U.S. Customs on April 7, 1975. The donor, however, later recalled that he purchased it from the Edward Merrin Gallery, New York.
