Tabernacle monstrance

The use of animals in religious symbology had been common practice since the Middle Ages. There was a widespread belief that if there was no food, the pelicans would peck at their own breast and feed their blood to their offspring. This gesture of the pelican was compared to the action of Christ on Calvary, who shed His blood for the remission of sins.
This Tabernacle Monstrance was originally made for the Convent of Santa Monica, Old Goa and later on, it was kept in the Cathedral at Old Goa. It has two interlinked parts: the spherical base (symbolizing the world) made of wood covered in silver, with a cavity for the tabernacle to which access is gained through an opening at the back; and the Monstrance, which is in the shape of a Pelican in whose breast is an aperture surrounded by a radiating halo to present the consecrated Host for the adoration of the faithful. This Pelican is an example of the Indo-European art of the first half of the 18th century. Worthy of note are the feet made of teak and covered in silver; the treatment of the body and wing plumage, as well as the crest and the beak.