El Dios de la Peña

Wood, gesso, paint; glass eyes, wig. Approximately 3 feet, 9 inches tall (114 cm.).
Tlacolula, Oaxaca, Mexico

Sr. Jescas, our informant at Tlacolula in 1991, said the santo is solid wood. It shows Jesus seated after being scourged and mocked. He holds his head on his right palm with the right elbow on his knee. His other hand holds a mock scepter. He wears white bloomers, a red loincloth, a cape, and a crown of thorns woven of hair and silver into the basketweave pattern. Dozens of ex-votos a religious offering given in order to fulfill a vow are pinned to the clothing. Compared to other santos of this type the treatment of the blood is perfunctory.

The feet are burnished by the repeated rubbing of the faithful, who have also pinned votive photographs, amulets, and other objects to the bloomers and the lower part of the loincloth.

Read more about images of the trials of Jesus.

Photographed at the church by Claire and Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.