Spanish Santos Figure - Archangel Gabriel

Artist: Spanish School.
Title: Archangel Gabriel.
Date: 17th Century or earlier.
Medium: Wood, polychrome paint and gilding.
Condition: Good, there is a loss of paint. Wear is commensurate with age. The left hand is missing, with more expensive Santos figures the hands were interchangeable and often made with a wax resin. The wing has been repaired on the rear of the figure.
Provenance: Private Collection Sydney Australia

About: Santos (Spanish for Saint) figure of The Archangel Gabriel is an early example. The use of gilt and ultramarine blue which was a pigment that was more expensive than gold at the time indicates that it was probably produced for a wealthy patron. This strongly suggests that the figures were made in Spain, as more plainer Santos figures were used to spread Christianity through Asia. They were distributed as the Spanish colonised other countries and established trade routes as well as to convert more primitive cultures to Catholicism.