Altar Frontal
Altar Frontal
Bohol island
Second half of the 18th century (1759 – 1814)
Polychrome molave hardwood (Vitex parviflora)
height: 34” (86 cm)
width: 68 1/2” (174 cm)
length: 2” (5 cm)
Opening bid: PHP 100,000
PROPERTY FROM A DISTINGUISHED COLLECTOR
ABOUT THE WORK
This amusing, earthy polychrome frontal panel from a side altar came from one of the eighteenth century Jesuit churches in Bohol island. It features deeply– carved Cashew apples (Anacardium occidentale) which are the accessory fruits for cashew nuts, enclosed in grid sections. In Christian art, the accessory fruit represents the protection of precious contents and the Cashew nut itself symbolizes Jesus Christ. The two short sides of the panel are bordered with swirling leaves and the top long section of the panel is bordered by large red flowers and swirling leaves. At the center of the panel is the emblem of the Augustinian Recollect order --- the heart pierced by two arrows --- instead of the Jesuits’ IHS as the side altar was created within the 65 years of the Jesuit Suppression 1759–1814, when their Bohol parishes were entrusted to the Augustinian Recollects. Largely because of the Christ symbols, it is likely that the side altar was dedicated to the “Santo Nino”/Holy Child or to the “Nuestra Senora de la Consolacion y Correa”/Our Lady of Consolation and Cincture, patroness of the Augustinian community. The Jesuits were the third major religious order to arrive in Las Islas Filipinas in 1581, after the Franciscans (second to arrive in 1578) who followed the Augustinians (first to arrive in 1565). The Jesuits were followed by the Dominicans (fourth to arrive in 1587) and the Augustinian Recollects (fifth to arrive in 1606). By 1595, they had established a base in Bohol island and had begun its evangelization. They started building the big, beautiful churches of the island that we see today. The famous churches of Dauis, Baclayon, Loboc, Loay, Loon, Maribojoc --- while technically excellent post–2013 earthquake reconstructions and restorations --- were all originally built by the Jesuits. Following Jesuit power struggles with the Western European monarchs and the Papacy which culminated in 1759 --- and the subsequent abolition of the order by the Holy See in 1773 (!!!) --- the Jesuits were expelled from Spain and all her colonies in 1759. They were only able to return 65 years later in 1814 and resume their missions when the political climate in Europe had changed significantly. The respected, nurtured, and well–conserved churches of Bohol show us the sheer beauty of what could have been all over the country --- the great religious treasures we could have had in our Spanish colonial period churches had they not fallen prey to natural disasters; war; secularism; the misinterpretations of the Vatican II Council; overall ignorance; misplaced priorities; greedy clerics; lack of artistic knowledge about fine art, decorative arts, conservation, and proper restoration; lack of respect and concern for tradition; neglect of church treasures and properties; and other unfortunate occurrences. Sic transit gloria mundi. (Augusto Marcelino Reyes Gonzalez III)
Lot 128 of the Leon Gallery auction on December 2, 2023. Please see leonexchange.com and leon-gallery.com for more information.
Altar Frontal
Altar Frontal
Bohol island
Second half of the 18th century (1759 – 1814)
Polychrome molave hardwood (Vitex parviflora)
height: 34” (86 cm)
width: 68 1/2” (174 cm)
length: 2” (5 cm)
Opening bid: PHP 100,000
PROPERTY FROM A DISTINGUISHED COLLECTOR
ABOUT THE WORK
This amusing, earthy polychrome frontal panel from a side altar came from one of the eighteenth century Jesuit churches in Bohol island. It features deeply– carved Cashew apples (Anacardium occidentale) which are the accessory fruits for cashew nuts, enclosed in grid sections. In Christian art, the accessory fruit represents the protection of precious contents and the Cashew nut itself symbolizes Jesus Christ. The two short sides of the panel are bordered with swirling leaves and the top long section of the panel is bordered by large red flowers and swirling leaves. At the center of the panel is the emblem of the Augustinian Recollect order --- the heart pierced by two arrows --- instead of the Jesuits’ IHS as the side altar was created within the 65 years of the Jesuit Suppression 1759–1814, when their Bohol parishes were entrusted to the Augustinian Recollects. Largely because of the Christ symbols, it is likely that the side altar was dedicated to the “Santo Nino”/Holy Child or to the “Nuestra Senora de la Consolacion y Correa”/Our Lady of Consolation and Cincture, patroness of the Augustinian community. The Jesuits were the third major religious order to arrive in Las Islas Filipinas in 1581, after the Franciscans (second to arrive in 1578) who followed the Augustinians (first to arrive in 1565). The Jesuits were followed by the Dominicans (fourth to arrive in 1587) and the Augustinian Recollects (fifth to arrive in 1606). By 1595, they had established a base in Bohol island and had begun its evangelization. They started building the big, beautiful churches of the island that we see today. The famous churches of Dauis, Baclayon, Loboc, Loay, Loon, Maribojoc --- while technically excellent post–2013 earthquake reconstructions and restorations --- were all originally built by the Jesuits. Following Jesuit power struggles with the Western European monarchs and the Papacy which culminated in 1759 --- and the subsequent abolition of the order by the Holy See in 1773 (!!!) --- the Jesuits were expelled from Spain and all her colonies in 1759. They were only able to return 65 years later in 1814 and resume their missions when the political climate in Europe had changed significantly. The respected, nurtured, and well–conserved churches of Bohol show us the sheer beauty of what could have been all over the country --- the great religious treasures we could have had in our Spanish colonial period churches had they not fallen prey to natural disasters; war; secularism; the misinterpretations of the Vatican II Council; overall ignorance; misplaced priorities; greedy clerics; lack of artistic knowledge about fine art, decorative arts, conservation, and proper restoration; lack of respect and concern for tradition; neglect of church treasures and properties; and other unfortunate occurrences. Sic transit gloria mundi. (Augusto Marcelino Reyes Gonzalez III)
Lot 128 of the Leon Gallery auction on December 2, 2023. Please see leonexchange.com and leon-gallery.com for more information.