Who would think that this magnificent representation of
the Guardian Angel--El Angel de la Guarda or Angel Custodio---was fashioned
from old santo parts and new pieces by the noted restorer, Dr. Raffy Lopez?
A decade ago, a close friend of mine, Robby Tantingco, discovered the
wonderful world of santos. As he was connected with Holy Angel University for
many years, he explored the idea of having a santo of the Holy Guardian Angel,
the patron of the school.
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| 1830s heirloom image of the Holy Angel |
In fact, the university chapel houses the 1830 wooden
image of San Angel Custodio, which once
belonged to the founder of Angeles, Don Angel Pantaleon de Miranda. The image—which
shows the Guardian Angel holding the hand of a child, was passed on to a series
of descendants, until it was inherited by Juan D. Nepomuceno (1892-1973), Don
Juan was inspired to name the school he founded after the Guardian Angel,
hence--Holy Angel University, now the largest university in Central Luzon.
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| GUARDIAN ANGEL PANINTING, 1516 by artist Domenichino. Source: wikipedia |
The representation of the angel protecting children is
common in Catholic imagery. In art, the Guardian Angel is shown with his right
arm raised, with a finger pointing heavenward; he holds the hand of a child
with the other.
However, images of the
Holy Guardian Angel are seldom seen in the Philippines. Thus, the choice to
have a San Angel Custodio as my friend’s first santo, was both appropriate and
perfect!
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| ANTIQUE IVORY HEAD, originally, for a Marian virgin |
It was serendipitous that I just bought an antique ivory
head of a Virgin. Without a wig, the ivory head with glass eyes looked rather
androgynous—just like the way that angels are represented. I convinced the
first-time collector to invest on an ivory image for his very first santo, and
I volunteered to supervise its reconstruction.
Off to Dr. Lopez the antique ivory head went, the only
piece he would work with, at the start of the project. Guided by a picture of
the original Holy Angel school image, he decided to make an ivory image copy of
it.
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First, all the ivory parts missing were ordered for the
Angel (a pair of hands) and the Child
(ivory head and hands), all made with pre-ban ivory. These were assembled on
wooden manikin bodies, and when done, the Angel stood 12.5” tall and the Child,
6” high. The Angel only had to be
retouched to make it look a bit masculine, while the Child’s features were painted.
Meanwhile, the satin vestments were created, also
inspired by the original. The Angel wore a full-length, belted tunic with
floral gold thread embroidery, while the Child’s was blush peach. New wigs, and
metal accessories—including the highly detailed silver-plated brass wings
(copied from an old San Vicente Ferrer)—were sourced from local metalsmiths.
The mortar-shaped base with an oval top was a more
stylized version of the antique silver base of the original school image. The
cloud designs were hammered (‘pukpok’) on brass panels, that were then
silver-plated and attached to the wood base.
When the costumed images were staged and finally set on
the base, the result was a new, beautiful San Angelo tableau, which, though not
100% antique, is definitely worth as much for the new santo owner, what with
the amount of effort, care, and labor of
love that went into its making. Ever
this day, his very own Angel Custodio will certainly be by his side—to light and guard,
to rule and guide!
