Sold
New World, Mexico, Spanish Colonial Period, ca. 19th century CE. A fine hand-carved wooden male santo standing atop a tiered rectangular base. The man is depicted wearing tall boots and a blue-and-white knee-length tunic with six applied buttons, holding a staff with a crescent-shaped finial in his right hand with his left hand closed and facing downwards. The sensitive visage is comprised of painted eyes and pupils, a petite nose, a full beard and mustache surrounding pink-painted lips, slender ears, and a broad brow, all beneath a finely-arranged coiffure which drapes down the back of his neck. The top and bottom of the base are painted in white with blue additions, and the middle boasts black flowers atop a red ground. Size: 5.2″ W x 16.75″ H (13.2 cm x 42.5 cm).
Santos played an important role in bringing the Catholic Church to the New World with the Spanish colonists. These religious figures were hand-carved and often furnished with crowns, jewels, and other accessories, usually funded by religious devotees, and were used as icons to explain the major figures – Mary, Christ, and the saints – to new, indigenous converts. Likewise, they served as a connection to the Old World for Spanish colonists far from home. They became a folk art tradition in the Spanish New World, from modern day Guatemala to as far north as New Mexico and Colorado. Many of them were lovingly cared for over the years, with repairs and paint added as they aged, and played an active part for a long time in the religious life of their communities.
Condition: Surface wear and abrasions commensurate with age, small losses to base and areas of pigmentation, with minor nicks and chips across most surfaces, fading to some painted details, and inactive insect damage. Nice earthen deposits throughout.
Provenance: private California, USA collection
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all purchases.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
