Latin America, Mexico, Guerrero, El Texcal/Almoloya, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. An interesting wooden festival horse worn during the traditional Santiago Dance in Puebla known as a "Caballo Santiago." The horse is comprised of two sections, the front and rear end, held together with lengths of rope in the center. The ropes also attach the horse to a dancer's waist. The horse is simply made, with a painted white surface and black pigments highlighting the nose and hoofs. White tufts of actual horsehair are attached as the mane and tail. The horse is worn around the waist by a dancer known as a Santiaguero, a follower of Saint James (Santiago). The Santiago dance portrays an encounter between Santiago Caballero, a reincarnation of Saint James the Apostle who appears as an archangel mounted atop a white stallion, and a group of dancers representing Satan and his followers, known as the Pilatos (after Pontius Pilate). The dance also features the subtext that the Santiagueros, who are mostly the Indians of the Sierra de Puebla, represent the true followers of Christ while the Pilatos represent the Spanish conquistadors who claimed to be Christians but treated the Indians poorly. The horse itself is treated with great respect; with and the dancer's sole role is to protect the horse! A wonderful cultural piece! Size: 21" L x 3.25" W x 11.5" H (53.3 cm x 8.3 cm x 29.2 cm)

Provenance: private Tucson, Arizona, USA collection, acquired between 1950 and 1985

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#148649

Stable fissures and cracks. Chips to nose and hoofs. Chipping of pigments. Minor losses and shedding to mane and tail hair. Rope is adjustable.