364. Lump in My Throat: SAN BLAS in Ivory

SAN BLAS (St. Blaise), the bishop-martyr of Sebaste, in Armenia, is not familiar to many Filipinos, except perhaps in Sebaste (yes, namesake of the bishop’s episcopal see!), Antique, or in Bangar, La Union and Villasis, Pangasinan, two municipalities with barangays named ‘San Blas’.

Apparently, in Pampanga, a prominent family from Guagua are devotees of San Blas, as they keep an exquisite ivory figure of the saint invoked against throat diseases, that has afflicted some members in their clan.

This ivory santo belonged to a couple who ran a successful popular and successful meryendahan in the town. They often lent their image unselfishly to people in the community with various throat issues, who, after touching the revered image, crossed themselves on the neck as they pray for relief.

According to a legend , San Blas saved a boy who had a fish bone stuck in his throat-- just one of the many miracles that he wrought. That led to him being adopted as the Patron Saint of people with throat ailments.

When the childless couple passed away, the image was bequeathed to a niece, an unamarried public school teacher. She cared for the image until she retired and passed away just this year, ahead of her remaining elder sister.  As of yet, the next caretaker of San Blas has not been named.

Typical of many classically carved santos, this San Blas has a manikin body, but has been redressed, his original bishop’s vestments now long gone. His most common iconography includes a mitre (also replaced) and a crozier. Other depictions of him in art includes an iron comb—an instrument of his torture, and a candle, in reference to a candle brought to him in jail. Images of him holding a martyr’s palm are rare.

The feast of San Blas is celebrated every February 3.

 MANY THANKS TO : MR. JERRY PUNZALAN SAGMIT for the information and photos.

363. COMPLETING CULAS: An FB Marketplace Santo Gets Restored

The idea of buying antiques from a Philippine online shop is  unthinkable for many, because assessing their authenticity can be tricky just by looking at photos—you can’t touch a santo, feel its weight, inspect its real condition. You also have to deal with reproductions, dubious fakes, and scammers!

But there are times when nice, genuine santos pop up every now and then on online sites run by reputable sellers, piquing my interest. One such example was this Recoleto SAN NICOLAS DE TOLENTINO wooden figure standing on an ochovado base, found on FB Marketplace.

Recoleto santos are among my favorite collectibles because my “pueblo” was actually evangelized by Recollect saints. Of the 4 provinces of the Recollect Order, one is named as the Province of San Nicolas de Tolentino, created in 1621. Seven friars, led by Fray Andres San Fulgencio first came to the future Mabalacat in 1711, and found a forest settlement inhabited by a community of Aetas, headed by one named Garagan. The saint  also holds a special meaning to me as a Kapampangan since the renown pasalubong biscuit from Pampanga was named after him--“saniculas”. 

The seller sent me more pictures for my perusal, and I was told that it had come from Panay. The 14 inch. San Nicolas reminded me of some Puerto Rican santos where the carving tends to be sharp and angular, with unsmoothed edges and corners, as evidenced by the chiselling of the drapes on the santo’s habit, fingers, sandals, and the 8-sided base.

The Recollect belt clearly identifies the santo, who, a one point must have held his attributes, now missing—a dish on where a dying partridge bird rested which he  miraculously revived upon feeding from his plate. His right had would have held a crucifix garlanded with lilies, to symbolize his purity. This particular hand is an obvious replacement as it was disproportionately bigger than the left.

There are rectangular patches of gold-leafing in his black habit. The painter probably intended to cut and shape these gold patches into stars, which are also his emblems. Legend has it that stars guided him to Tolentino, near his place of birth.

Paint flaking was noted on the base, and the face of the santo. There was a hairline crack running from the waist to the hem of the santo’s habit which has started to open.

After carefully assessing the condition of this folk santo, I decided to complete it by reconstructing its missing elements. But before I could do that, I had to attend to the more pressing concerns:

First, I filled the hairline crack with plastic wood, which was like a wood putty with the consistency of glue, used in repairing flaws on wood. 

Once hardened, the crack was sealed and the filling was painted black. The paint losses on the face and the base were fixed with acrylic paints.

Now, I could go to replacing the missing attributes. First—the missing halo. This was supposed to be the easiest to do, since I keep all sorts of old metal santo accessories, but it turned out the round, brass halos I have are so big.

Then I remembered a pair of round, calado earrings that I wisely bought from a tiangge years before—because they reminded me of santo halos!! So I just added a wire in the center to form an umbrella type of halo, called “paragua”, that I stuck into a ready-made hole on the top of the santo’s head

A plain wooden cross would have been an acceptable replacement for the santo’s missing crucifix. But I found a tiny wooden crucifix  with the metal corpus of Christ and aluminum cantoneras that was actually a remnant of a rosary. I just shaped the end so that it could fit into the grasp of the santo’s hand.

The miniature bird on the platter was more challenging to recontruct. The plate was fashioned from a metal cap (tansan) that I flattened with a hammer. To remove the rubber seal and the brand name ( I used a Red Horse tansan!), I just heated the crown until it looked blackened with age. The “plate” was then pegged on the open left palm of the figure. I ran thru some 5 tansans before I was satisfied with the result.

I have saved the bird for last, because I know this would give me a hard time, To be true to the wooden figure, I attempted to carve a bird, no more than a quarter of an inch long, using balsa wood. But the wood kept on cracking even when I was using an Exacto knife. I gave up after 2 tries.

Then,  I came up with the idea of molding a small bird from plastic wood I used before. I thought it would turn clay-like when it’s drier, but the shape did not hold. Then I tried papier mache, using fine paper pulp from tissue paper and white glue—the result was a sad-looking lump, not a bird.

Finally, I called on a lifeline—a friend and an artist who made miniature dioramas. How could I forget Dodjie Aguinaldo!  So, based on my instructions,  he made me a miniscule quail (pugo) bird, hand-molded from air-dried clay, just 1.5 cm. long. I just painted it after, lacquered it, and set it on top of the tansan plate—a perfect fit!

As a finishing touch, I found an old cast-iron, patinated salvage, once part of a decorative applique for a door, perhaps. I nailed it on the front of the base to make it look remotely like a carroza frontal.

With his completion, SAN NICOLAS DE TOLENTINO, patron of souls in purgatory, has just become my favorite Recollect in my santos grouping which I fondly call my “Re-Collection.”

MANY THANKS TO:

Mr. LOUIE ASINAS, for the smooth, seamless deal on the santo, for your patience in answering my uestions,  and for the photos.

Mr. DODJIE AGUINALDO, for creating the clay bird for this santo

362. The Ivory Image of Parañaque's SANTA VERONICA

The processional ivory image of STA. VERONICA, is a representation  of the woman who offered a cloth (likely her veil)  to Jesus so He could wipe His face on the way to His Crucifixion, and on which His likeness was miraculously imprinted on the cloth.Though not mentioned in the Bible, the scene of the meeting endures in Catholic tradition in the Sixth Station of the Cross, "Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus."

Parañaque’s Sta. Veronica has a head and hands crafted from high quality white ivory, This 2008 photo documentation of the santa shows her in a replacement  purple vestment embellished with gold-colored thread embroidery, for the Lenten procession of the Parish of St. Andrew.

She holds a “birang”, with the face of Christ imprinted three times that shows signs of fading due to age. The original “Veronica’s Veil” is believed to exist today in the Vatican and is considered one of the most treasured relics of the Church.

Photos from Dr. Raymundo Feliciano Albums in the care of the Center for Kapampangan Studies.

361. PORAC’S LITTLE JOHN of the SANTOS FAMILY

The small, but handsome image of the young SAN JUAN APOSTOL is a family heirloom from the Familia Santos of Porac, led by Leon Santos, a planter and businessman. Family lore has it that the image was originally owned by a local Chinese who gifted it to the Santoses. The image was inherited by Leon's son Isidoro Ponce Santos, whose overseas-based children now contributes the funds for his upkeep, including procession expenses.

The San Juan image is just 3 feet tall, with articulated arms. In this version, San Juan has carved, brown-painted hair, that falls gracefully down his nape and shoulders. Over his stiff collared top, he wears a tunic of green with a red, shawl-like drape on his shoulders. He is topped with a brass halo and shown holding his attributes: a feather quill and a book.

For years, it was a regular participant in the annual Lenten processions of Poblacion, Porac, Pampanga, until 2000. His entry is preceded by his symbol as an evangelist, a carved figure of an eagle, which has the ability to gaze directly at the sun, representing the divinity of Jesus.

Last procession appearance of San Juan, 2000

As San Juan was the smallest religious image in the procession, the Santoses decided to pull it out and caused a new, taller image to be made, to  match the size and proportions of the other Lenten santos.

MANY THANKS TO MR. JERRY PUNZALAN SAGMIT for the photos and information.

360. The Bone Collector: A SANTO ÑINO FIND IN INTRAMUROS

BONE-HEAD SANTO NINO with Wooden Body

There was a time that Intramuros had a small antique shop section, thanks to the development of a heritage district that started in the early 1980s. The district included the restored Casa Manila, a 19^th century house at the Plaza San Luis Complex, along Gen. Luna St. The complex attracted different establishments like restaurants, souvenir shops, arts and antique shops.

The Nino, as found, Galeria Andrea, ca. 1998

One of the popular shops located here was Galeria Andrea, owned by Pampanga congresswoman Andrea Domingo, who would later become Immigration commissioner and PAGCOR chairman. She turned her antique collecting hobby into a modest business in Intramuros, and it was in her shop that I found this small, but lovely Sto. Niño of wood and bone, sometime in 1998.

No more than 10 inches tall, including the base, the santo is depicted in a royal French costume, reminiscent of the outfit worn by King Louis XV. The Sto. Niño of Malolos wears a similarly-inspired outfit. Obviously, the image was repainted in garish white, blue and dark brown. Random painted flourishes decorate his tunic, highlighted by a body chain over the torso.

But what drew me to the santo was the face, which, initially I thought to be ivory as it was so white. It was the only material made of bone—everything else, including the hand holding a small orb (one hand is missing)--were made of wood.

I had to take a second and third look to see if it was really made from bone, but so well done—from the neck folds, define aquiline nose, to the wisp of his smile, and his side-glancing glass eyes—all contributing to its pleasing, amiable expression.

It makes one think that the head deserves a better body, maybe like those manikin-types, reserved for richly-dressed ivory santos. But this Niño has its own distinct appeal, and the wooden body itself is well-carved, and well-proportioned. Note, for example, the careful facial carving, the symmetrical folds of the cape, and the stance of the booted legs, with one knee slightly bent.

The shallow relief carving of the peaña (base) is a bit difficult to figure out; vaguely, I could make out a heart with a cross on top, entwined with thorny vines. The image was meant to wear a wig, and perhaps, a crown. De bulto images with wigs are more common for female saints, making this Niño a scarce find.

Antique bone santos have always played second fiddle to ivory santos, which are more prized and therefore, more expensive. But to me, my bone Sto. Niño find evokes the same feelings of appreciation and nostalgia for our religious folk art as when I see ivory santos--so in that sense, this Niño is just as precious and cherished for keeps!

POSTCRIPT:

MRS. ANDREA DOMINGO opened GALERIA ARTS & ANTIQUES in LRI Plaza, Jupiter St., in Makati , and she kept the business for 26 years. Today, her remaining collection are housed in he home city museum in San Fernando, Pampanga called MUSEUM OF PHILIPPINE ARTS AND CULTURE (MOPAC). One gallery is dedicated to her incredible santo collection:

359. SAN ISIDRO LABRADOR: A Bone to Pick, A Santo to Fix

Some 15 years ago, I was driving in the direction of Lubao when I found a row of stores along the road, and one instantly caught my eye: “PRINCE SECOND HAND-LUMBER and Antique Shop”.  Of course, I had to stop. When I came in, I was met by a young couple, and their little boy, who was carrying an old silver-plated monstrance. I asked if the monstrance was for sale, and the father said, it is, but right now the boy wouldn’t let it go, as he was “playing prusisyon”, walking around the room, holding the monstrance, pretending to be a priest in a procession.

The father said to give him a few minutes while he talk with his son—Prince--who, at that point was adamantly holding tight to the monstrance and would not let it go In the meantime, he said, please feel free to check the other stuff in his warehouse.

Thank God, the big piles of lumber from demolished old houses were separated from the “antique” section of his shop, that included vintage furniture, aparadors, salvaged architectural details and iron grills. I noticed a few religious items there: an escayola Buenviaje in its own urna, a framed communion certificate.

There must be more where they come from, I thought to myself. And sure enough, when I opened a comoda, an inner shelf revealed something extraordinary—a naked santo, with a thin manikin body, outfitted with a solid bone head and hands! 

One look, and I saw a vision of San Isidro Labrador holding a farm implement. The shop owner entered the room at this point, ending my reverie. “Oh, you found the old doll”, he said. I corrected him by saying that the figure is, by all indications, a santo. “Ah, I didn't know it's a santo! That means it will be a little bit more expensive then”, he continued. Me and my big mouth.

When he mentioned the price, well, it wasn’t bad as I imagined it to be! In fact, I could pay for it now! So that’s how I got the bone-faced San Isidro home.

The next work week, straight to the taller of Dr. Raffy Lopez the santo went. The 10 inch high santo, he said, was finished well, considering it was bone, a medium difficult to carve as it is brittle, breaking easily. This does not allow the carver much leeway to carve in finer details, which explains why bone santos do not have well-delineated faces and hands, looking stiffer, more folksy than their ivory counterparts. But this did not diminish at all the charming quality of this piece.

There was a possibility too that the santo was originally a San Jose, as it was found without identifying elements associated with San Isidro, like an ox, kneeling landlord, a plowing angel. But Dr. Lopez was confident he could recreate San Isidro’s likeness using this bone figure, even without those iconographic parts.

The first thing he need to do was to look for a proper base for it, and he found one—a folksy painted mortar base with remnants of green and dull yellow colors. Once he had that, he started his work on the bone santo, a process that took a month.

When, finally, he revealed SAN ISIDRO LABRADOR, the results were dramatic as seen from these photos. Only the lips needed to be defined, as the bone head still had its original glass eyes and painted beard. A new jusi wig and an old halo from the doctor’s collection topped the head of the santo.

The deep yellow satin cape and the knee-length drab green tunic complemented the colors of the base, which raised the santo’s height to about 16 inches tall. The gold embroidery was limited to the hems of the cape and the lower part of the tunic, fitting for a male saint.

The restores San Isidro sports knee high, leather boots, fashioned from soft imitation leather scraps. His left hand clutches a new, long-handled shover made of wood and tin. As the santo was tall and narrow. I had a customized glass case made for him, similar to Japan-made glass doll cases.

I only have 5 bone santos in my collection, and this restored San Isidro is one of the more special ones because of the story of its discovery, finding it by mere happenstance. 

Oh, and the silver monstrance? I got that too, the next day, pried off from the hands of Prince by his father, while he lay sleeping. I wonder what happened when he woke up. He should be about 18 years old now—is he pursuing a priestly vocation? I wouldn’t be surprised if he did.