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San Vicente Ferrer / St. Vincent Ferrer
Late 18th or early 19th Century
FILIPINO
Solid Ivory with parcel gold gilding and polychromy.
Dimensions: 8 in X 3.5 in W X 2 in D (20 cm X 8.75 cm X 5 cm).
Provenance: Collection of Dr. Porfirio J. and Mrs. Socorro Rodriguez Callo

A solid ivory image of St. Vincent Ferrer. Excellently detailed and beautifully carved. The body is of solid ivory. Head and hands are carved separately and doweled in. Eyes painted. Original bronze wings and halo extant. In excellent state or preservation. The parcel gilding is exquisite. Miraculously, all the digits of the hands survive and are intact.

The saint is carved wearing the traditional habit of the Dominicans. He is wearing a tunic edged with gold gilding in foliate and floral forms. Over the tunic, one can observe the presence of both the cincture (belt) and the rosary. Attached to and dangling from the rosary is the scapular. Over the tunic, the image is dressed in a cappa or cape with a capuce or hood. Interestingly, the hood is stylistically carved to fold dramatically on the sides to frame the saint's face. The saint's left hand is shown pointing to heaven while the left gathers and holds his cape at the waist which is typical of 18th century images of San Vicente. Latter 19th century versions show the saint holding a book on the right hand while the left still points heaven-ward.

On verso, the hood is more interestingly delineated. Further, the saint is wearing a shawl also edged with gilded rococo foliate forms. Most interesting of all, the saint is shown with a faint shadow of hair on the nape simulating fresh growth. The saint's gilded shoe-clad feet peep under his voluminous gown.

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Note 1: San Vicente is shown with wings -- not because he is an angel or that he ever flew during his lifetime. Rather, he is shown wings because he was called "the angel of the last judgement" by one of his biographers. He was also known for his powers of"levitation" and "bilocation" hence the wings.

Note 2: Initially attributed to the mid-19th century based on the realistically carved facial features and the almost too-bright state of the parcel gilding. However, the carved eyes lead one to believe that the image was carved in a earlier period. More probably late 18th or early 19th century. By the middle of the 19th century, very few solid ivory pieces were being carved as there was already a shortage of supply. Also, most images carved in the mid 19th century had inset glass eyes to create an effect of greater realism.

Note 3: The 18th century attribution is strengthened by a strikingly similar treatment of the cowl found on a image of the San Vicente in the Que collection and displayed at the Ayala Museum as part of the Power+Faith+Image exhibition in 2004-2005.

It is my opinion that this piece is far superior in carving and execution to the Que San Vicente.

San Vicente Ferrer / St. Vincent Ferrer
Late 18th or early 19th Century
FILIPINO
Solid Ivory with parcel gold gilding and polychromy.
Dimensions: 8 in X 3.5 in W X 2 in D (20 cm X 8.75 cm X 5 cm).
Provenance: Collection of Dr. Porfirio J. and Mrs. Socorro Rodriguez Callo

A solid ivory image of St. Vincent Ferrer. Excellently detailed and beautifully carved. The body is of solid ivory. Head and hands are carved separately and doweled in. Eyes painted. Original bronze wings and halo extant. In excellent state or preservation. The parcel gilding is exquisite. Miraculously, all the digits of the hands survive and are intact.

The saint is carved wearing the traditional habit of the Dominicans. He is wearing a tunic edged with gold gilding in foliate and floral forms. Over the tunic, one can observe the presence of both the cincture (belt) and the rosary. Attached to and dangling from the rosary is the scapular. Over the tunic, the image is dressed in a cappa or cape with a capuce or hood. Interestingly, the hood is stylistically carved to fold dramatically on the sides to frame the saint's face. The saint's left hand is shown pointing to heaven while the left gathers and holds his cape at the waist which is typical of 18th century images of San Vicente. Latter 19th century versions show the saint holding a book on the right hand while the left still points heaven-ward.

On verso, the hood is more interestingly delineated. Further, the saint is wearing a shawl also edged with gilded rococo foliate forms. Most interesting of all, the saint is shown with a faint shadow of hair on the nape simulating fresh growth. The saint's gilded shoe-clad feet peep under his voluminous gown.

_________________________________________________

Note 1: San Vicente is shown with wings -- not because he is an angel or that he ever flew during his lifetime. Rather, he is shown wings because he was called "the angel of the last judgement" by one of his biographers. He was also known for his powers of"levitation" and "bilocation" hence the wings.

Note 2: Initially attributed to the mid-19th century based on the realistically carved facial features and the almost too-bright state of the parcel gilding. However, the carved eyes lead one to believe that the image was carved in a earlier period. More probably late 18th or early 19th century. By the middle of the 19th century, very few solid ivory pieces were being carved as there was already a shortage of supply. Also, most images carved in the mid 19th century had inset glass eyes to create an effect of greater realism.

Note 3: The 18th century attribution is strengthened by a strikingly similar treatment of the cowl found on a image of the San Vicente in the Que collection and displayed at the Ayala Museum as part of the Power+Faith+Image exhibition in 2004-2005.

It is my opinion that this piece is far superior in carving and execution to the Que San Vicente.