Polychrome Wood & Plaster Santos — Inmaculada Concepción, Colonial Latin American

A hand-carved wood and plaster devotional figure of the Inmaculada Concepción (Immaculate Conception), executed in the Colonial Latin American folk santos tradition, consistent with 18th–19th century Mexican or Central American production. The standing Virgin is depicted in the established Marian iconographic convention — hands clasped at the chest in prayer, draped in a deep red mantle over a spotted polychrome dress painted in black, blue, yellow, and green. The face is crisply carved with dark painted hair, arched brows, and parted lips. She stands atop a gilt crescent moon element with upswept horns and a carved cherub face at center, referencing the Apocalyptic Woman of Revelation 12:1 — standard iconography for this subject across Colonial-era Spanish workshops. The whole composition rises from a green-painted rectangular wooden plinth. Unmarked.

Deaccessioned from a New Mexico collection of fine antiques — a region with deep historical ties to Spanish Colonial religious art and a long tradition of serious santos collecting.

CONDITION

Good with age-appropriate wear. The obverse retains strong, legible polychrome throughout the figure and mantle, and the facial carving remains well-defined. The reverse shows heavy surface crazing, scattered paint loss across the red mantle, and a visible separation at the junction between the figure and the crescent base element.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Height: 13.5"
• Width: 6"
• Depth: 4"
• Weight: 1 lb
• Material: Wood and plaster
• Finish: Hand-painted polychrome, folk santos tradition
• Origin: Colonial Latin America, likely Mexico or Central America, 18th–19th century
• Provenance: New Mexico private collection of fine antiques

Campbell's Soup Can (4" H) Shown for Scale