Santos in Oaxaca's Ancient ChurchesA study of santos in 16th-century and other churches in Oaxaca, Mexico
By Claire and Richard Stracke Funded by a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation. In Santo Domingo
Díaz Ordaz: |
Other Santos at Santo
Domingo Díaz Ordaz |
Saint Nicholas Factor The kneeling statue represents a tonsured saint who has allowed his robe to fall to the hips so that he can whip himself. Sr. Morales Senior told us that the statue is of San Nicolás, whose saint's day, he said, is the 14th of July. Before the Vatican II reforms the feast of St. Nicholas Factor, the 16th-century mystic and flagellant who is most likely the one represented here, was on December 14, according to Butler's Lives of the Saints. Sr. Morales called the saint el Patrón de los guajalotes or the Patron Saint of Turkeys. Small, plastic turkeys had been placed on the altar near the saint, just as model oxen are placed around San Isidro Labrador in other churches. Sr. Morales told us that traditionally the people brought their birds to the church to be blessed on the Saint's day, but that now the priest goes to the farms where he can bless all the animals (turkeys, oxen, donkeys) at once. The statue's under-robe is decorated in painted gold stars. The face and torso are highly detailed and blood can be seen at the whip marks on the back. The eyes are painted. The halo is of tin. The thick brush strokes tell us that the statue has been repainted. Location: Between Saint
Peter the Apostle and the Trinity on the north
wall of nave (see note).
Media and construction: Wood, gesso, paint.
Our Lady of the Rosary? Basis for Identification: No crown or halo on the Virgin, who wears a blue and gold cape. A diadem on the child. Media and construction: Polychrome.
Eyes: glass, no lashes. Hair: wig. Size: about 4 feet (120 cm.) Comparable santos in Oaxaca: Achiutla,
Coixtlahuaca,
Cuilapan,
Teitipac1,
Teitipac2
(2 exemplars on this page), Teotitlán, Teposcolula. External links: Female Saint The statue has carved hair and wears a polychromed dress with a square neck-line. Gold paint is visible. Long hair, simple robe. Location: On an altar in the northeast corner of the nave, next to Saint Joseph (see note). Size: About 2½ feet (75 cm.) Saint John the Baptist The statue is of folk manufacture. It is dressed in a robe and in a mantle sculpted and painted to suggest an animal skin. In the right hand is a lily stalk, though this is usually the symbol of St. Joseph. Two large nails have been driven into either side of the robe, about 3 inches (8 cm.) from the hem and may be used to tie the statue onto the andas on the saint's feast day.
Basis for Identification: Animal skin, halo. Media and construction: Painted
wood, metal halo. Comparable santos in Oaxaca: Achiutla,
Coixtlahuaca,
Huitzo,
Mitla,
Teitipac, Teitipac
("San Juanito"), Teotitlán,
Zimatlán. External links: Resurrected Christ The garment covers most of the body but exposes the right breast. There is no blood, no stigmata. On the feet are cloth bandages. Since it is not usual to wrap the feet of the Cristo de la Resurrección, it is assumed that these hide damage to the statue. Basis for Identification: Floor-length cross in left hand, right hand poised in blessing, cruciform halo; red garment fringed in gold. Location: At right on the altar between the second pillar and the east end of the south wall of nave (see note). Media and construction: Wood,
gesso, paint. Eyes: glass, no lashes. Hair: sculpted. Size: about 3 feet (90 cm.) External
links: Saint Dominic Stones are set in the star, which has seven points. The habit consists of a robe, bib, and cowl. It is not in Dominican black and white, but is all white. The dog is a rudimentary wooden sculpture.
Basis of Identification: Dog at the feet, star in forehead between the eyes, an ensign in the right hand, a lily stalk in left. Location: At the left on the altar between the second pillar and the east end of the south wall of the nave (see note). Media and construction: Wood,
gesso, paint, stiffened cloth habit.
Eyes: glass, no lashes. Size: about 3½ feet (105 cm.) External
links: Our Lady of Mount Carmel The figure of the Virgin stands on a cloud with angels. The child does not have a scapular.
Basis of Identification: Holding the Christ Child, brown robe and bib, scapular, full crowns on both figures. Location: In a glass case on a table to the left of the doorway in the south wall of the nave (see note). Media and construction: Wood,
gesso, paint, stiffened cloth garments on
Virgin, fabric on child. Eyes: glass, with eyelashes
on Virgin only. Hair: sculpted (both
figures). Size: about 5 feet (150 cm.) External links: Our Lady of Sorrows (Soledad) This Soledad is not in the tradition of the aquiline-nosed, long-faced beauty of the statue in Oaxaca. This Virgin suggests rather a lady from an 18th-century court, haughty, reserved, and pretty in an ordinary way. The statue is dressed in the usual black velvet with silver trim. She wears a lace wimple and lace cuffs. The pyramidal shape of the clothing is consistent with cloth over a frame structure. The crown is made of metal leaves rising from a circle and is topped with a ball and cross. Glass jewels decorate the crown.
Basis of Identification: Purple veil, vertical silver halo. Location: In a carved, gilded glass case in the south wall of nave, between the first column and the side door (see note). Media and construction: Wood,
gesso, paint. Eyes: glass, no lashes. Size: about 5 feet (150 cm.) External link: Our Lady of Sorrows (Soledad)
The figure is bald under the
veil. Gesso shows where the left middle finger has been
scraped.
Location: South wall of the nave, between the first column and the side door, beside the other Soledad (see note).
Media and construction: Wood, gesso, paint. Size: about 2 feet (90 cm.) Comparable santos, External link: see above. Virgin Basis of Identification: Blue veil. Location: South wall of the nave, just past the narthex (see note). Media and construction: Wood,
gesso, paint, fabric garments. Eyes:
glass. Size: about 3 feet 3 inches (99 cm.) External link: Christ in a Coffin ("El Señor de la Muerte") The coffin has feet, and handles for carrying. A blanket covers all of the figure except the face. Location: On a tiled table along the south wall extending from the nave into the narthex (see note).
Media and construction: Eyes: glass,
with painted lashes. Hair: wig. Open mouth, sculpted
tongue and teeth. Size: Life size. External link: Ecce Homo The crown of thorns is in the basketweave pattern. The hands are very realistic, showing tendons and veins.
Basis of
Identification: Crown
of thorns, purple cloak.
Location: On a tiled table along the south wall
extending from the nave into the narthex (see
note). Media and construction: Wood,
gesso, paint, fabric garment. Eyes: glass,
no lashes. Size: about 5 feet (150 cm.) External links: The episode of Pilate's
showing the scourged Jesus to the crowd is in John
19:1-5. Dominican Saint The arms are unfinished starting 3 inches (8 cm.) up from the wrists. Basis of Identification: Flower-shaped halo, Dominican habit, hands clasped, eyes up. Location: On a tiled table along the south wall extending from the nave into the narthex (see note). Media and construction: Wood,
gesso, paint. Eyes: glass. Size: about 3 feet (90 cm.) St. Dominic The figure has a very fresh-looking habit that is mostly gold. The polychrome of the cape's inner lining is quite elaborate in design.
Basis of Identification: Identified by Marco Santiago Morales. Dominican habit, tonsure, beard, halo, floor-length cross and lily in right hand. Left hand holds a church on a book as well as a rosary and a pendant. Media and construction: Polychrome,
metal halo. Size: 43 inches (109 cm.) Location: In a glass case centered in the retablo of
the main altar (see
note). External
links: Introduction to Santo
Domingo Díaz Ordaz Note: On
this
site,
references to the cardinal directions always assume
that the main altar is at the east end of the church,
the narthex or entry area at the west end, and the two
walls
of the nave on the
north and south. (The
nave is the long central section.)
Actual orientations may differ.
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