18th Century Antique Wood-Carved Santo Figure in Later Tabernacle - Set of 2

Description

Anonymous
Spain or Spanish Americas; 18th century
Polychrome wood (santo); oak (tabernacle)

Approximate size: 18.5 (h) x 7.5 (w) x … more Anonymous
Spain or Spanish Americas; 18th century
Polychrome wood (santo); oak (tabernacle)

Approximate size: 18.5 (h) x 7.5 (w) x 6 (d) in. (santo); 29.5 (h) x 14.5 (w) x 12.5 (d) in. (tabernacle)

This devotional group are a survival from Hurricane Katrina. While the two carvings were conceived individually and in different eras, they remain paired just as they were rediscovered. The present santo sculpture retains its original polychrome and exhibits a lovely time-worn patina. The saint stands upon a sloping octagonal plinth, probably commensurate in age, being of the mid-to-late 1700s. The reliquary tabernacle housing the santos is evidently of a later date, probably ca. 1900, and is designed in the Gothic revival manner with an arched roofline, Corinthian columns and a recessed trefoil carved in relief along the roof-façade.

Condition: commensurate with age. Wearing of stain on oak tabernacle along the edges and corners as well as mild shrinkage of wood along the seams of the capitals and their columns. However, the tabernacle is sturdy and stable. The santos features craquelure along the painted surfaces as well as minor paint flaking. An old stress fissure runs through the sculpture due to exposure to climate changes. Overall stable and in typical condition for age and use. less