It is not too difficult to see why Santos are sought after by the faithful and collectors alike. On one level, they serve to inspire and impress upon the believer, the timeless human conditions of suffering, love, faith, compassion, and sacrifice, attributed to the represented Santo. Made from natural and, sometimes, rich materials that may include ivory, gold, and other fineries, they can also be appreciated as objects of art and beauty. Even with a range in style and craftsmanship that may go from high art to completely lacking in refinement, they all seem to project a strength of spirit and character that hold a universal appeal.

Joseph Williams, a collector of religious art in Oakland, California, recalls he was not yet a Christian when he was first moved by the active and open gestures of the Santos.  In contrast to the more passive and introspective demeanor of the Buddhist figures of his early upbringing, Santos appeared much more inviting and seemed to radiate a true holiness. “Wow! Here are these are earthly things that just exude divinity,” he affirms.

If that were not enough, Santos also coveted for their historic value or as fine antiques. Indeed, Santos bring a quiet dignity and nobility to some of the most sophisticated interiors, no matter what the style.

Strictly speaking, the word Santo, plural Santos, is a Spanish word, meaning saint. In the present context, the term Santos is taken from the phrase Santos de bulto (Saint Sculptures), and serves to differentiate three dimensional sculptures from other religious representations such as painting, and other two-dimensional imagery. Though by now, in the antiques market, Santos is a blanket term used to describe a number of plaster, carved stone, wood or ivory figures of heavenly personages, including relief wooden sculptures, and other forms.

In the United States, the collecting trend for Santos is well established. Collectors have, for some time, become acquainted with Spanish colonial works from the Americas, particularly those from Mexico, Guatemala, and even New Mexico, and many are familiar with the Santos of Puerto Rico, Peru, and Brazil.

The Richard Gervais Collection, with its unique emphasis on Asia, features unexpected finds from various countries, including, Vietnam, Philippines, and India. To the uninitiated, it may be initially surprising to stand face-to-face with Asian Santos. We have been taught to think of Christianity from a purely western perspective, a predisposition that dates back to the Great schism of the 11th century. Yet, curiously enough, Bethlehem and Golgotha are in Asia and thus, an Asian connection remains.

Evangelization into Asia began as early as the 1st century, shortly after the crucifixion. Tradition tells of a reluctant Thomas the Apostle, being charged with the task of bringing the Christian teachings to India and Iran—a belief that is still a source of pride among Indian Christians. By the 7th century, Nestorians had converted the Mongols in China, and other efforts by Jesuits, Dominicans, and Franciscans followed over time. The Portuguese expansion introduced Christianity to Indonesia, Malaysia, Siam, Burma, and neighboring countries by 1511, followed by the French, the Dutch, and the Spanish in other regions.

Friars often taught the newly converted with printed imagery, and, as churches were built, they commissioned religious art from Europe. Thereafter, this responsibility fell on the adept and skilled Asian artisans, who stepped in to fill a new demand for Santos for church and personal use, and in the case of ivory, for international trade.  Japanese, Chinese, and Philippine carvers supplied precious Christian ivory carvings as far as Europe and Mexico in the New World.

A typical Santo was carved in wood, and then finished with gesso (a mixture of gypsum and hide glue) and paint. There are countless variations and techniques, depending on its final use and production value. The finest examples may receive glass eyes, an estofado or gold leaf finish, and ivory faces and hands that achieved a refined and other-worldly flesh quality. In other instances, figures had an armature or bastidor for a body, which would be covered by fine robes or vestments that may be decorated with gold thread, silver, pearls, and precious or semi-precious stones.

Ted Cohen, another Bay Area avid collector of folk art from around the globe, is less concerned with the perceived or real monetary value of the Santos in his collection. In his eyes, the appeal of a Santo emerges rather in the unadorned frankness of the piece. “My Santos can be almost crude… primitive, but they seem to carry a more personal meaning,” he says, referring to that fact that many of the Santos in his collection were probably made for worship in home altars. “I love the patina on the old ones,” he noted.

Several factors played into the Asian artisan’s interpretation of Christian saintly figures. In the beginning, the artisan imbued Asian qualities and features, because that was what he knew best. Facial features of the Christ, the Virgin Mary, and saints, may therefore display eyes with epicanthic folds and almond shapes. Sometimes, an artisan made up with “feeling” any shortcomings in technical skill. And yet, other times, evangelists more or less deliberately translated Christian symbols into locally accepted Asian symbols.

Thus, a painting of the Madonna and Child in China may borrow the traits of Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, because her qualities would be more familiar to a newly converted native. In such an image, the Christ child might hold a lotus flower, the Asian symbol of enlightenment, and a water vase may be represented to contain the water of life. There are other examples of this type of symbolic assimilation that work as evangelical visual aids, such as the five clouds motif used to represent the Holy Spirit, or the use of carved mythical Naga serpents to guard a Christian cross.

There are also noted exceptions. In Japan, where St. Francis Xavier, a Jesuit, is credited with introducing Christianity in 1549, the faith is seen as a new vessel, which should stand apart from non-Christian symbols. A similar belief prevails in Korea, where missionaries struggled for two hundred years, starting in the 1590s, to evangelize the Korean people, against all odds.

By 1521, the Spanish had arrived in the Philippines and Christianity was then established, through the efforts of Augustinian missionaries. Here Catholicism has found what might be the strongest footing in all of Asia. Santos production flourished, thanks to the many skills and talents of the local artisans, and to the demand for quality Christian statuary in the developing New Spain market.

With all this history and variety, the collector is left with many interesting options. Whether one is focused on historic, aesthetic, or spiritual qualities, the choices extend far beyond the conventional Spanish colonial genre. The Richard Gervais Collection offers antique and replicas of Asian Santos that are sure to enhance the casual or serious collection. Please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call us for more information.

Sources:
Moffett, Samuel H., 1992, A history of Christianity in Asia, Harper San Francisco,
Sohn, Otto E., 1969, Afroasiatische christliche Kunst. English Christian art in Africa and Asia. Translators: Erich Hopka, Jalo E. Nopola [and] Lehmann, Arno, Saint Louis, Concordia Pub. House

Fleming, Daniel Johnson, 1940, Christian symbols in a world community, New York, Friendship Press
Filipino Heritage The Making of a Nation, THE SPANISH COLONIAL PERIOD (16th Century) The Day of the Conquistador, Lahing Pilipino Publishing Inc, 1977

Jose, Regalado Trota [and] Villegas, Ramon N., 2004, Power Faith Image, Philippine Art in Ivory from the 16th to the 19th Century, Ayala Foundation, Inc, Makati City, Philippines

Laya, Jaime C., 2003, Consuming Passions: Philippine Collectibles, Pasig City: Anvil Pub., c:0031v

Florendo, Abe, 2001, Santo Niño The Holy Child Devotions in the Philippines, Congregacion del Santisimo Nombre del Nino Jesus. Hong Kong

Tiongco, Jose B., 1981, Old Religious Art of Panay, Yuhum La Defensa Press, Inc. Manila, Philippines