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 Teotitlán del
Valle: Christ
Child |
Christ in a Coffin |
Christ in a Coffin: A red blanket covers the figure up to the chin. The face is highly individualized, with craggy cheeks and a very dark complexion. A white rag ties up the jaw, and there is a peach bandanna on the forehead, where one would expect the crown of thorns.
Local Name: El Señor de
Muerte Site: Church of Santa María
de la Natividad (Preciosa Sangre de Cristo),
Teotitlán del Valle. Location: In a glass case on the first large altar along the north wall of the nave (see note). Media and construction: Wood with dark, glossy finish, fabric headgear. Eyes: sculpted. Hair: wig. Size: About 5½
feet (165 cm.) Comparable santos in Oaxaca: Huitzo, Mitla, Tamazulapan, Teitipac, Teposcolula, Tlacolula, Xoxocotlán (in Soledad group), Zaachila. External Link: Next: Above
this coffin, a statue
of Our Lady of Sorrows (Soledad) Introduction to Teotitlán del
Valle 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. |