New World, Spanish Colonial, Mexico, ca. early 19th century CE. A tall and gentle wood santo figure of Mary holding the Christ Child. She has a kind face and stands holding a gold-painted tin spiral staff topped with flowers. Christ has one tiny hand raised in blessing. Mary wears a tin crown studded with glass "diamonds". Size: 3.5" L x 6.25" W x 20.25" H (8.9 cm x 15.9 cm x 51.4 cm)

Her clothing is richly colored, with bright red and black in contrast to cream and gold. The color scheme suggests that Mary is bathed in heavenly light - as does the cloud beneath her feet, studded with four heads and wings of cherubim. This style of santo is known as "Mary and Child in Glory", and always features a cloud of adoring angels worshipping her.

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: Ex-Francis & Lilly Robicsek Collection, Charlotte, NC

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#120589

Lustrous patina. Some areas of overpainting. Small areas of paint loss as shown (especially on head of child), with loss to one hand on child and some fingers on the other hand.