**Originally Listed At $1000**

New World, Spanish Colonial period or later, Mexico, ca. 19th century CE. A sensitively-carved wooden santo depicting the Christ Child. He is seated, wearing a an intricate gilded tin crown and a white cotton dress made specifically for him. The figure has stunning glass eyes that look very realistic as they gaze upward at the viewer. His hands are placed so that the right makes a sign of blessing and the left has an open palm. The figure sits on a carved wooden chair that is from the mid-20th century. Size: 3.25" L x 3" W x 10.75" H (8.3 cm x 7.6 cm x 27.3 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

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#120595

Fine craquelure. Some losses to paint and overpainting as shown. Wax in areas used for attaching accessories.