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Santos dolls came into popularity in the 17th and 18th century primarily for use in home altars in towns without priests. The word Santos means Saint in Spanish. This particular Santos depicts Our Lady of Sorrows. Our Lady of Sorrows is a title given to Mary that commemorates her suffering as the mother of Jesus during his Passion and Death.
This Santos doll is hand carved from wood and hand painted. She has glass eyes with visible tears. A metal halo with stars adorns the back of her head. She is seated on an oak base. Her dress is made of black velvet with metal bullion embroidery on the skirt. A crown of thorns with red thread representing blood is also embroidered on her skirt. She even has a cotton and lace underskirt.
Santos dolls are scarce, particularly examples as detailed as ours. They don't come up on the market very often. It would be an absolute treasure to have her as a part of your Curio cabinet.
Additional Details
Date:Late 1700s/Early 1800s
Materials: Wood, Velvet, Cotton, Metal
Measurements: 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 14 1/4"
Markings: None
Condition: Good / Fair. Unfortunately, often times antique Santos dolls do have considerable wear. Our Santos doll is missing the tips of 5 fingers and half of one of her feet. She has wear to her nose and paint loss to her hair and hands. Some of the velvet flocking has come off her dress. When we found her, her feet were hot glued to a piece of cardboard and a modern iron on patch was ironed to the front of her dress. We carefully removed the hot glued cardboard and created a new base and stand out of antique oak based on original examples. We added antique metal trim around her shoulders and front to cover the damaged area where we removed the iron on patch. While she has her flaws and patina, she still presents beautifully.
Cleaning and Care
Dust with dry microfiber cloth. Do not expose to any cleaners or liquids.
