San Nicolás
Church of San Juan
Teitipac, Oaxaca, Mexico
Tonsure, skull
in left hand, purple habit with white cord.
Wood, gesso, paint; painted eyes; polyester habit; approx. 3
feet tall.
The right hand is
raised
in benediction. The skull, badly chipped and decomposed, is
tied to the
left hand, which is in a sling. Somewhat damaged toes show
from beneath
the hem of the habit. Yet the head is of expert work and is in
good
condition.
The saint has a five-o'clock shadow and well-detailed curls.
The face
is
realistic, and the skeletal structure of the hands and wrists
is
evident.
The saint was
identified for us in Teitipac as "San Nicolás" by Sr.
Hilario
Lopez. Similar santos are in Oaxaca in the villages of San Juan Guelavia and Santa María
Zaachila.
More
of St. Nicholas Factor