Santos (statues)

Scope Note: Carvings of saints and other holy figures, usually wooden or of ivory, produced for Roman Catholics in Spanish colonies in the Americas, the Caribbean, and elsewhere, or similar objects made at a later date in imitation. Santos were very popular; they have a particular style, reminiscent of the seventeenth-century Spanish Baroque style, but use a less refined technique and primitive representations. It was customary to dress them in clothing. For two-dimensional representations of saints in Mexico and the southwestern United States, prefer "retablos." For three-dimensional images of saints Mexico and the southwestern United States, prefer "bultos."