**Originally Listed At $1000**

New World, Spanish Colonial style, Mexico, ca. 19th century CE. A solemn, beautiful representation of the Virgin Mary, hand-carved from wood, her face shown downcast and youthful, with painted hair and fine facial features, including individually painted eyebrows and lips. Her arms are articulated. She has a repousse silver halo and wears clothing, including a white shift and a large red velvet robe trimmed with gold thread, that was made by worshippers for her. She stands on a small wooden altar with an openwork frame behind her. Size: 7.5" L x 8" W x 18.5" H (19 cm x 20.3 cm x 47 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.

Provenance: private Francis & Lilly Robicsek Collection, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, acquired second half of the 20th century

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#120717

Beautiful deposits on face. Clothing is much newer than the wooden carving. Craquelure and small areas of loss to the paint as shown. Traces of wax to stabilize accessories. Some areas of overpainting. Her stand is not contemporary with the piece. Losses to left foot and hand.