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Saint
James the Moorslayer:
Santiago is the patron saint of the
parish. The informant said the horse
and statue are carried in a procession on January 25.
The saint's face has a greenish sheen. The hands are in
good condition. The sword is tied onto the right hand. The
cape is velvet and the tunic and pants are polyester
brocade. Woven into the brocade of the pants are the
words Pater, Filius, Spiritus Sanctus and the symbols of
the Trinity. This same fabric appears in purple and in
red in the chasubles of the two statues of San Pedro
Apostol at Teotitlán.
The horse is white and has a cocked
head and alert expression; it is painted wood with
braided rope harness, leather saddle, metal stirrups,
and real hair for forelock and tail; it is newer
than the saint.
The horse stands on an andas
that appears to be of a different maker than the statue.
There is a folk feeling to the painted flower and leaf
design of blue on a red back-ground. The andas is trimmed
in yellow and has four green turned legs.
The position of the hands, shape of
the beard, gentle expression of the face, and the
downcast eyes suggest the statue was originally a Palm
Sunday Christ, though the mount is definitely not an
ass. Moreover, it is too small for the horse and the
feet do not fit in the stirrups. The helmet is too small
for the head.
Local Name: Santiago Matamoros
Basis for Identification: Knight in
armor on horseback with sword.
Other characteristics: Red
cape, yellow shirt, blue breeches, black boots.
Site: Basilica of
Santiago Cuilapan.
Location: Right of
the main altar.
Media and construction: Wood,
gesso, paint, textile clothing. Boots added. Eyes seem
too dull to be glass. 4' excluding horse.
Size: About four feet (120 cm.)
excluding the horse.
Comparable santos in Oaxaca: Tilantongo1,
Tilantongo2,
Tilantongo3
External Links:
Wikimedia Commons:
Statues
of Santiago Matamoros in Mexico
Wikipedia: Saint
James the Moor-slayer
Christian Iconography: St.
James the Greater, Apostle
Next: Along
the south wall of the nave, a statue of a Dominican
martyr.
Previous santo
Introduction to Santiago Cuilapan
Santos Home Page
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