Standing alms box

This was an imposing form of alms box meant to stand on the floor of churches. During the Middle Ages in Europe it was used along with the other wall mounted kind.
This standing alms box is decorated in an indisputably Indo-Portuguese style, it is one of a pair and has the appearance of a pillar from a Hindu temple, with the rounded sections marking the widest part of the shaft. Elsewhere, the decoration is more akin to the exuberance found in churches. The box is backed by the winged bust of a smiling angel. Like the angel, the receptacle with its slit for alms, is painted blue; it is also covered with auricular, cord and foliage motifs. Further down, are the usual shapes and foliage types that covered many of the pillars.