**Originally Listed At $300**

South America, ca. 19th century CE. A lovely santo depicting Saint Anthony of Padua, hand-carved from hard wood. He stands with bare feet atop an integral tiered plinth and wears cobalt-blue vestments decorated with a red belt, red trim, and white-painted foliate motifs. Saint Anthony holds the standing Christ child atop the Holy Gospel in his left hand, and his right bears a slot into which additional accessories are held; he would typically hold a lily stalk to represent his purity. His sensitive visage is formed by inlaid glass eyes with delineated pupils, a slender nose above pursed lips, gaunt cheeks, and cupped ears, all beneath a tonsure hair style. Size: 6.75" W x 16.8" H (17.1 cm x 42.7 cm).

St. Anthony was a Portuguese Franciscan priest and friar who died in Padua, Italy. Despite being born into a wealthy family, he was known for his intense devotion to the poor and sick, and holds the distinction of being canonized most quickly of all the saints. He is also known as the patron saint of lost things - objects, people, and souls. In art, he is often depicted with a book and the infant Jesus, based on a commonly told story of him reading a book and seeing the Christ Child's image in it.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-private John Jacobson collection

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#143571

One hand of Saint Anthony reattached with small chips and light adhesive residue along break lines. Losses to one hand of Christ child, chips and fading to several areas of pigmentation, several stable fissures, with softening to some finer details, and light encrustations within some recessed areas. Nice earthen deposits and traces of original pigmentation throughout.