La Inmaculada Concepcion in Ivory
a) San Jose y Niño Jesus
b) La Inmaculada Concepcion
Binondo, Manila and San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan
ivory, silver, velvet, baticuling wood
1890s
a) San Jose y Niño Jesus
head to toe: 11" (28 cm)
body: 5" x 4" (13 cm x 10 cm)
Virina:
H: 22" (56 cm), D: 9" (23 cm)
Base:
H: 6" (15 cm), D: 14" (36 cm)
b) La Inmaculada Concepcion
head to toe: 11" (28 cm)
body: 5" x 4" (13 cm x 10 cm)
Virina:
H: 22" (56 cm), D: 9" (23 cm)
Base:
H: 6" (15 cm), D: 14 (36 cm)
Opening bid: PHP 300,000
Property from the Don Maximo Viola Collection
Provenance: Maximo Viola, Descendants of Maximo Viola
About the Work
by Augusto Marcelino Reyes Gonzalez III
Commissioned by D Maximo Viola y Sison (1857–1933): an exceptional tabletop “San Jose y Nino Jesus.”
The San Jose has a serious, fatherly expression and the Nino Jesus he is carrying on his left hand has a playful but respectful mien. The father carries a solid silver staff of lilies on his right hand. Both San Jose and the Nino Jesus have long hair of “jusi” fibers; the father wears a solid silver “paraguas” halo and the son wears solid silver “tres potencias” symbolizing the three powers of the Lord --- Authority (Exousia in Greek), Ability (Dunamis in Greek), and Strength (Kratas in Greek). The San Jose wears a traditional green robe and yellow cape and the Nino Jesus wears a traditional yellow robe, both are embroidered with floral and foliar designs of the 1890s genre. The father stands on an exceptional “peana” pedestal base of the rare type: a lily emerging from four acanthus leaves which are supported by smaller leaves on a base of foliar forms. The finely–gilded peana is found only with the highest quality ivory statuary. In Roman Catholicism, Saint Joseph is the foster father of Jesus Christ and the Patron of the Universal Church. During the Spanish period and up to prewar (up to 1940), the center of devotion to El Glorioso Patriarca San Jose was at the San Nicolas de Tolentino church (“Recoletos”) in Intramuros; there were weekly devotions on Wednesdays and a big fiesta every 26 November. Unfortunately, the Recoletos church, the 26 November fiesta tradition, and the image of San Jose Patriarca were all destroyed by aerial bombs in February 1945. The other important, traditional centers of devotion to San Jose remain with “Tata Hosep” in Las Pinas, “Tata Bukot” in Navotas, and “Senor San Jose” in Mandaue, Cebu. There is a renewed, worldwide devotion to Saint Joseph as Pope Francis has acknowledged that he often leaves a petition to the saint overnight and receives a resolution in the morning.
Commissioned by D Maximo Viola y Sison (1857–1933): a beatific tabletop “La Inmaculada Concepcion.” The Virgin Mary has a gentle downward gaze, reminiscent of the “La Purisima” festejada at the Iglesia de San Francisco de Asis (Franciscanos) in Intramuros (destroyed during World War II). It has long hair of “jusi” fibers, a silvergilt crown, and an aureole of twelve stars. The long, slender hands are held together in prayer. The image is dressed in the traditional white robe and blue cape, “palikpik” style, embroidered with floral and foliar designs of the 1890s genre. An enameled, silvergilt sun and silver crescent moon are at its feet. The statuette stands on a (deliberately) oversized, silver–leafed, Ming–style “ensaimada” cloud base with the serpent interspersed between. The cloud is supported by a traditional gilded “peana” pedestal with foliar forms. The Roman Catholic dogma of the Immaculate Conception states that: “We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful.” During the Spanish era (up to 1898), and up until prewar (to 1940), the 08 de Diciembre procession of “La Purisima” (“La Inmaculada Concepcion”) at the Iglesia de San Francisco de Asis (Franciscanos) was one of the much – awaited events in the Manila calendar. Although it was La Catedral de Manila that was under the patronage of “La Inmaculada Concepcion,” and although the Jesuits fervently venerated her under that title at the Iglesia de San Ignacio de Loyola on Calle Arzobispo, it was the Franciscanos who organized the annual fiesta in her honor. The late afternoon procession started at San Francisco on Calle San Francisco esquina a Calle Solana, through Calle Solana, entered the Iglesia de Santo Domingo de Guzman (Dominicanos) on Calle Beaterio esquina a Calle Solana for prayers and hymns, through Calle Beaterio, passed La Catedral on Calle Beaterio esquina a Calle Cabildo, then returned to San Francisco via Calle Real del Palacio (currently General Luna street). It was a joyous affair as “Navidades” (Christmas) was already in the air with the cool December breezes; five days later would be the 13 de Diciembre fiesta of Santa Lucia de Siracusa (Saint Lucy of Syracuse) at the Iglesia de San Nicolas de Tolentino (Recoletos) on Calle Cabildo Recoletos, a time when country folk from the surrounding provinces --- Bulacan, Pampanga, Morong, Laguna, Batangas, Cavite --- descended on the church patio with their fresh delicacies and charming wares, to the delight of the city folk who eagerly purchased them, for even then, Manilenos inevitably suffered from “mal de ville” (“city illness”).
Lot 140 of the Leon Gallery auction on June 17, 2023. Please see leon-gallery.com/auctions/The-Sp
La Inmaculada Concepcion in Ivory
a) San Jose y Niño Jesus
b) La Inmaculada Concepcion
Binondo, Manila and San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan
ivory, silver, velvet, baticuling wood
1890s
a) San Jose y Niño Jesus
head to toe: 11" (28 cm)
body: 5" x 4" (13 cm x 10 cm)
Virina:
H: 22" (56 cm), D: 9" (23 cm)
Base:
H: 6" (15 cm), D: 14" (36 cm)
b) La Inmaculada Concepcion
head to toe: 11" (28 cm)
body: 5" x 4" (13 cm x 10 cm)
Virina:
H: 22" (56 cm), D: 9" (23 cm)
Base:
H: 6" (15 cm), D: 14 (36 cm)
Opening bid: PHP 300,000
Property from the Don Maximo Viola Collection
Provenance: Maximo Viola, Descendants of Maximo Viola
About the Work
by Augusto Marcelino Reyes Gonzalez III
Commissioned by D Maximo Viola y Sison (1857–1933): an exceptional tabletop “San Jose y Nino Jesus.”
The San Jose has a serious, fatherly expression and the Nino Jesus he is carrying on his left hand has a playful but respectful mien. The father carries a solid silver staff of lilies on his right hand. Both San Jose and the Nino Jesus have long hair of “jusi” fibers; the father wears a solid silver “paraguas” halo and the son wears solid silver “tres potencias” symbolizing the three powers of the Lord --- Authority (Exousia in Greek), Ability (Dunamis in Greek), and Strength (Kratas in Greek). The San Jose wears a traditional green robe and yellow cape and the Nino Jesus wears a traditional yellow robe, both are embroidered with floral and foliar designs of the 1890s genre. The father stands on an exceptional “peana” pedestal base of the rare type: a lily emerging from four acanthus leaves which are supported by smaller leaves on a base of foliar forms. The finely–gilded peana is found only with the highest quality ivory statuary. In Roman Catholicism, Saint Joseph is the foster father of Jesus Christ and the Patron of the Universal Church. During the Spanish period and up to prewar (up to 1940), the center of devotion to El Glorioso Patriarca San Jose was at the San Nicolas de Tolentino church (“Recoletos”) in Intramuros; there were weekly devotions on Wednesdays and a big fiesta every 26 November. Unfortunately, the Recoletos church, the 26 November fiesta tradition, and the image of San Jose Patriarca were all destroyed by aerial bombs in February 1945. The other important, traditional centers of devotion to San Jose remain with “Tata Hosep” in Las Pinas, “Tata Bukot” in Navotas, and “Senor San Jose” in Mandaue, Cebu. There is a renewed, worldwide devotion to Saint Joseph as Pope Francis has acknowledged that he often leaves a petition to the saint overnight and receives a resolution in the morning.
Commissioned by D Maximo Viola y Sison (1857–1933): a beatific tabletop “La Inmaculada Concepcion.” The Virgin Mary has a gentle downward gaze, reminiscent of the “La Purisima” festejada at the Iglesia de San Francisco de Asis (Franciscanos) in Intramuros (destroyed during World War II). It has long hair of “jusi” fibers, a silvergilt crown, and an aureole of twelve stars. The long, slender hands are held together in prayer. The image is dressed in the traditional white robe and blue cape, “palikpik” style, embroidered with floral and foliar designs of the 1890s genre. An enameled, silvergilt sun and silver crescent moon are at its feet. The statuette stands on a (deliberately) oversized, silver–leafed, Ming–style “ensaimada” cloud base with the serpent interspersed between. The cloud is supported by a traditional gilded “peana” pedestal with foliar forms. The Roman Catholic dogma of the Immaculate Conception states that: “We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful.” During the Spanish era (up to 1898), and up until prewar (to 1940), the 08 de Diciembre procession of “La Purisima” (“La Inmaculada Concepcion”) at the Iglesia de San Francisco de Asis (Franciscanos) was one of the much – awaited events in the Manila calendar. Although it was La Catedral de Manila that was under the patronage of “La Inmaculada Concepcion,” and although the Jesuits fervently venerated her under that title at the Iglesia de San Ignacio de Loyola on Calle Arzobispo, it was the Franciscanos who organized the annual fiesta in her honor. The late afternoon procession started at San Francisco on Calle San Francisco esquina a Calle Solana, through Calle Solana, entered the Iglesia de Santo Domingo de Guzman (Dominicanos) on Calle Beaterio esquina a Calle Solana for prayers and hymns, through Calle Beaterio, passed La Catedral on Calle Beaterio esquina a Calle Cabildo, then returned to San Francisco via Calle Real del Palacio (currently General Luna street). It was a joyous affair as “Navidades” (Christmas) was already in the air with the cool December breezes; five days later would be the 13 de Diciembre fiesta of Santa Lucia de Siracusa (Saint Lucy of Syracuse) at the Iglesia de San Nicolas de Tolentino (Recoletos) on Calle Cabildo Recoletos, a time when country folk from the surrounding provinces --- Bulacan, Pampanga, Morong, Laguna, Batangas, Cavite --- descended on the church patio with their fresh delicacies and charming wares, to the delight of the city folk who eagerly purchased them, for even then, Manilenos inevitably suffered from “mal de ville” (“city illness”).
Lot 140 of the Leon Gallery auction on June 17, 2023. Please see leon-gallery.com/auctions/The-Sp