A small, highly distressed colonial wood carving of the Virgin holding Christ
A rustic, expressionistic carving featuring rigid, geometric vertical folds in the Virgin’s skirt. The faces are somewhat schematic and disproportionate, typical of indigenous or provincial artisans reinterpreting European models. The piece is missing the Virgin’s right arm and most of Christ’s legs, and shows signs of historical woodworm damage.
Colonial Folk Art; Catholic devotion; Pieta; Provincial sculpture
An authentic piece of early Colonial Folk Art. Traces of deep blue pigment (symbolizing purity) survive on the skirt, alongside “bol arménico” (a red clay base) and remnants of gold leaf (estofado technique). Its fragmentary, insect-damaged state is highly prized by antiquarians as undeniable proof of its “Alta Época” (High Epoch) authenticity.
Detailed descriptions of paper quality, margins, and preservation state.
Direct history of the collection’s origin.
Expertly packed and insured delivery to international collectors and institutions.