Santo (art)

Icons and other religious images were crucial for the conversions of indigenous peoples to the Catholic Church, which was itself an integral part of the Spanish colonisation of the Americas.

However, long distances, inefficient methods of transportation, and high demand for such artworks limited the ability of ecclesiastical authorities to supply parish churches, especially those in remote outposts, with works of religious art from the Kingdom of Spain.

[1] Santos are also common throughout Latin America, the Spanish Caribbean, and the Southwestern United States, as well as the Philippines, with distinct styles and traditions in each area.

The santero culture in the Philippines is widely prevalent among Filipino Catholics, having been influenced by centuries of Spain colonial rule and various forms of folk Catholicism.

[4] The tradition of wooden santo carving was preserved as a folk art in Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado, where isolated villages remain relatively secluded to this day.

The most expensive kind is known in the Philippines as inuod (Tagalog, 'wormed'), which uses a type of French gold bullion thread to make high-relief, embroidered floral and plant patterns on the statue's clothing.

Headdresses are also an integral part of a santos, often encrusted with costume jewelry (such as paste and rhinestones) or real precious stones, to symbolize the spiritual wealth of the saint.

A halo decorating the perimeter of the face, known as a resplendor or rostrillo, is almost always used, but not restricted to, images of the Blessed Virgin Mary, pointing to her traditional identification as the “Woman clothed in the sun” in the Apocalypse.

Images of Jesus are readily identified by the Tres Potencias ('Three Powers') halo, a set of three rays protruding from Christ's head at acute angles.

Another style is estofado, referring to dented holes placed on gold or silver foiling on the halos or the body of a statue, creating a reflective effect when placed in the light.

Another costly item involved in the maintenance of a large santo is its carroza (carriage), used as the image's vehicle during religious processions in rural Mexico and the Philippines, such as those of a town fiesta, and Holy Week.

These often have embossed metal decorations, the most expensive being pure silver, and layered cloths forming a skirt to hide the wheels of the carriage, along with carved sides representing episodes from the Gospels, such as the Passion narrative, or scenes, symbols, and objects associated with the saint.