Santo Bastidor

Several years ago I was shown a 'santo bastidor' in a tiny mission church in San Antonio, Texas. The priest was actually British! He had come to serve the Hispanic parish for a short time after training in Spain to become proficient in the language, but stayed on for several years. It was sunset. The sun cast its fading rays on the mission bell creating a beautiful image. He graciously unlocked the tiny church and showed us around, pointing to the walls he had painted and the furniture he had repaired out of love for this poor community that had embraced him. The life sized santo (saint) was stunning. It had been stolen and damaged, but recovered and repaired and was kept locked up for safety. When we left the mission it was pitch dark and I recall the difficulty we had finding our way back to the car.

I have been interested in these statues ever since. Originally from Colonial Spain, they were used in religious celebrations as the Virgin Mary or other Catholic Saints. During community fiestas they were decorated in flowers, jewelry, wigs, and handmade dresses which covered the 'cage' skirt. Remaining authentic santos are hard to find and command high prices. They have the beautiful patina of age, sometimes glass eyes, and often stand on ornate carved bases.

Many santo bastidors are from the Philippines, as was this newer reproduction. The carved wood is smooth with a beautifully painted aged finish, the arms and hands are movable. I felt fortunate to come across this santo locally. She is quite striking and fits into my new way of accessorizing with fewer but larger meaningful pieces.

The wings are a wonderful 'extra'. They are metal with a gilt finish, and detachable. I will use them during the Christmas season along with a jeweled pendant and perhaps crown the santo with a woven wreath of holly and ivy.

The face of this santo is almost mesmerizing in its shape and countenance. The eyes look straight ahead, a secret, bemused smile seems held back. A feeling of calm and peace emanates from the figure.

Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.

~ Mother Teresa ~