355. A Penitent Redeemed: STA. MARIA MAGDALENA

STA, MARIA MAGDALENA, RESTORED 2005

The circumstance of how this beautiful Sta. Maria Magdalena image was delivered to me was one for the books. I had been working with a Bulacan dealer for sometime, when he called to say that there was an antique santa in the market available, but I had to decide fast whether to get it or not. To make my decision faster, he offered to bring it to me in Makati, where I lived and worked.

MAGDALENA, in its original state, when acquired

Intrigued, I told him to pass by for me by lunchtime, hitch with him in his van, go home together to my nearby studio where I can better check out the santa. Some 2 hours later, he was on his cellphone to tell me of his arrival at my office building. I hastily rushed down the elevator from my 23^rd floor office, got out of the main door---and there, seated at the groundfloor Starbucks Café was my dealer, next to an old, naked, wigless santa, and which has started to attract the stares of the café patrons, building tenants, businessmen, visitors, and passersby! In a loud voice, he said: “Eto na ang Magdalena mo, boss…what do you think?”

MAGDALENA, with a wan and white complexion.

“I think you need to put back the santa in your van NOW!”, I  muttered under my breath, while turning red with embarrassment. Just as a crowd had begun to gather around the santa, the dealer grabbed the wooden figure, stowed it in the van, and sped away with me to my place, just 5 minutes away.

MAGDALENA'S HEAD, before and after re-encarnacion

I’ve never been so stressed at the thought of the commotion we caused at that café. But all that dissipated when, in the privacy of the closed van, I took a closer look at the penitent saint.

STA. MARIA MAGDALENA, under restoration

Even in its state—paint gone pale and peeling, a vertical crack running down the body, shaky base, plus the usual dings, nicks and scratches—this Sta. Magdalena was a real beauty, with a long face face slightly frowning in restrained grief. Her mouth was slightly open, curled downward in sorrow, showing teeth. The slightly long neck featured 3 shallowly-carved neck folds that almost looked like a 3-strand necklace.

STA. MAGDALENA, under restoration

On the other hand, her ghostly white hands and slender fingers, and her bare feet were well-carved and defined. There was the slightest hint of plumpness in her body, characteristic of old female santas. This processional image was not exactly tall, only 52 inches, including the base.

REPAINTING THE PENITENT SAINT

The dealer and I struck a deal, wrote him a check, and Sta. Maria Magdalena was mine to keep. But it didn’t stay long with me either, for just a scant week after, I delivered the Magdalena to the atelier of Mr. Francisco “Kiko” Vecin, Makati’s eminent collector and santo restorer. His workshop was just across my street, near the Makati City Hall, and the schedule for its restoration was drawn up in no time at all.

THE SAINT AND HER BLONDE-BROWN LONG LOCKS

As the santa was complete, I thought restoring it would be a breeze. Other than the crack on the body,  no major repairs were really necessary. What took long was the repainting of the santa that took some 3 months to finish. A friend of mine suggested that I stick to the original paleface kind of encarna, commonly seen in old Semana Santa images. I opted for a more natural complexion that is more Filipino, rather than the fair, pinkish Caucasian type.

STA. MAGDALENA, CROWNED

Mang Kiko commissioned veteran encarnador Eddie Mabaquiao Sr. to handle the repainting, which took forever to do. But the wait was all worth it, as the santa’s expression came real and alive with his brush. The magnifical restoration of Sta. Maria Magdalena was completed in late 2005.

VESTMENT BY LOPEZ ATELIER

Even long before it was finished, a member of our local pastoral council had saved a place for me 2006 Holy Week procession. The reservation, however, was not for a Magdalena, as the town already had one—but for broom-wielding Sta. Maria Jacobe. The idea was to transform this Magdalena into a Jacobe, by having her hold a broom—which was very much possible with the grasping position of her fingers.

OLD EMBROIDERY RECOVERED AND
USED FOR MAGDALENA'S VETSMENT

This threw me into panic, as I had not really planned on having vestments and metal accessories made just yet. Dr. Raffy Lopez came to the rescue by quickly making a light blue half-cape and a matching light fuschia tunic decorated with old gold embroidery. I designed a pukpok broom handle executed in plated brass by Jeric Canlas, inserted with tambo reeds. A new brass crown that I had been keeping went to the head of the santa, which looked obviously bigger. With that the primera salida of this Sta. Maria Magdalena finally took place in 2006—in the guise of  Sta. Maria Jacobe! I soon had ambivalent feelings about that practice.

PRIMERA SALIDA, as Sta, Maria Jacobe, 2006

That was the first and last time this antique santa came out, eventually replaced by my in-law family’s antique Jacobe. But when a second Magdalena I owned suffered a similar fate, I have vowed not to allow these “conversions” to happen again.

In one corner of our covered porch today stands a glass case, in which the cloth-covered antique image of Sta. Maria Magdalena reposes. It has not been seen since 2006, and I intend to keep it that way. It is very much in keeping with a penitent saint who spent part of her life as a hermit in a cave on a desert—away from prying eyes. Her life continues to give us an example of how no person is beyond the saving grace of God, so—by the same token, no broken santo  should be left unsaved too.

STA. MARIA MAGDALENA, Castro Family

354. CRISTONG MACAGAPUS: Passing on the Tradition from Generation to Generation, by Guest Writer, Allen Luis Galang Dizon Jr.

APUNG MACAGAPUS, 1855, Holy Wednesday 2023

The heirloom image of Apung Macagapus (Scourging at the Pillar) is among the very first Holy Week processional images of the town of Sta. Ana, Pampanga.

THE ANCESTRAL STA. ANA  HOUSE

This 19th century holy image was owned by Maria Dolores Pangan. She passed down Apung Macagapus to her niece Angela Pangan, who eventually married Domingo P. Dizon. His family owned the statue of Sta. Ana, making them the first camareros of the original processional image of the town’s patron saint.

Domingo and Angela had two children, Dr Antonio and Dr. Nilo. Due to old age, Angelina passed on Apung Macagapus to her son Dr. Nilo Pangan Dizon and daughter- in- law Amelia "Lily" Tiosejo Dizon. Although Dr. Antonio is the eldest, he and his wife Corazon and family lived mostly in the United States and Manila. Angela died at the age of 91.

DRESSING UP THE CRISTO

THEN, AS NOW, Dressing up the santo is a family affair.

When the Dizons decided to transfer to Manila, the holy image was entrusted to Grace Dizon Medina, niece of Domingo and first cousin of Dr. Antonio and Dr. Nilo. Grace is also the daughter of the ex-mayor of Santa. Ana, Pampanga - Hon. Roque Dizon Sr.

Domingo & Angela considered Grace as their real daughter since they only have two sons (Dr. Tony & Dr. Nilo) and were not able to have a daughter of their own. Apung Macagapus stayed with the Medina family for more than a decade.

ANTIQUE LOINCLOTH AND RIBBON

In 2002, Allen T. Dizon (son of Dr. Nilo & Lily Dizon) together with his wife Dra. Mayette G. Dizon and their kids decided to stay for good in Sta. Ana. So, on April, 2009 the holy image went back to the care of the Dizons.

 When Allen died in 2010 and Dr. Nilo in 2015, the family heirloom image and the pious tradition of the Dizons were passed down to the 5th generation of the family, the grandchildren of Dr. Nilo most specially Marvin, Jayr and Keith (Allen & Mayette’s children).

KEEPING A FAMILY TRADITION ALIVE

The tradition of the family still continues to this day, made possible through the love and profound dedication of the family and the many devotees of Apung Macagapus. From the time of Maria Dolores, the succeeding generations have vowed and continually kept the tradition alive and strong.

MANY THANKS TO MR. ALLEN LUIS DIZON GALANG JR., for the use of his article here.

 SOURCES/ REFERENCES: Dr. Antonio “Tony” P. Dizon (+), Edited By: Gertrudes "Ditas" Dizon

From the Photo Archives of Dr. Nilo P. Dizon (+), Photo Taken: March 26, 1986 at San Joaquin Santa. Santa Ana Pampanga

 

353. The Wise Mother: SANTA ANA y NIÑA MARIA

 

St. Anne, (Sta. Ana) first appears in the apocryphal gospel of James in the 2^nd century.  The circumstances of her late motherhood echoes that of Hannah, the mother of Samuel, and the most important scene from her life story is her meeting with Joachim (Joaquin), at Jerusalem’s Golden Gate.

Sta. Ana is often shown with Maria—sometimes as an infant in her arms, or as a child teaching her how to read, an iconograhic representation made popular by the School of Caravaggio, a famed Italian painter, in beginning in the 17^th century in Rome. The image of “the wise mother giving instructions to her daughters”, however, was well-known even during the medieval times, and that the scene of Sta. Ana teaching Maria  from a book, was quite a popular scene in the art of Northern Europe from the early 14^th century to the Reformation. 

In a similar vein, representations of Sta. Ana follow the Western format—and extant devotional folk santos often depicts her with the young Maria—either seated or standing-showing an open book to her daughter. 

This outstanding antique Sta. Ana with Nina Maria, the child Mary, is one such example. The well carved figures of Sta. Ana (12 in.”) and Maria (9.5”) stand on a cloud base bringing the total height to 18 inches. The figures are blackened with patina but traces of paint remain on their clothing—Sta. Ana  is dressed in a red robe, yellow mantle with blue lining. She also wears a form fitting coif and wimple. 

Maria is in yellow, adorned with floral prints. Her long tresses are intricately defined with detailed carving. Both santos are shown with heavily lidded eyes, with Maria showing a ringed neck, dating the images to early 19^th century. 

There is reason to believe that the cloud base, on which two small cherubims are affixed,  is not original to the piece, as the peg holes do not exactly match those of the santo figures. 

The pedestal on which the cloud base stands is obviously a later addition, a tad too high for such santos. Similar crescent-shaped cloud bases are seen used in representations of the Blessed Virgin, but not on typical Sta. Ana images. Nevertheless, the base is also superbly carved.

In the Late Middle Ages, legend held that Sta. Ana was married three times: first to Joaquin, then to Clopas (Cleofas) and finally to a man named Solomas and that each marriage produced one daughter: Sta. Maria, mother of Jesus, Sta. Maria  Cleofe, and Sta. Maria Salome, respectively.

Sta. Ana is the patroness of unmarried women, housewives, women in labor or who want to be pregnant, grandmothers, mothers and educators.

 SOURCES:

Duchet-Suchaux G., Pastoureau M.,The Bible and the Saints: Flammarion Iconographic Guide, pp. 32-33

Sheingorn, Pamela. “The Wise Mother”; the Image of St. Anne Teaching the Virgin Mary, Vol. 32, No. 1 (1993), pp. 69-80 (12 pages), The University of Chicago Press, https://www.jstor.org/stable/767018

352. Ecce Homo: BEHOLD, A BUSTO CRISTO!

BEHOLD THE MAN, Ht. 12"x W 14", heavy wood, late 19th c.

Jesus at his trial is represented in artworks and sculpture  often titled as “Ecce Homo”, (Behold the Man), an allusion to the statement of Pontius Pilate when he presented the anguished man to the hostile crowd.

There are countless  paintings and processional statues depicting the bruised and battered Christ, as well as busts, which are rarer to find. Perhaps, the most significant bust found in the Philippines is the 4-centuries old Ecce Homo of Cebu. It is considered the 2^nd oldest image next to the Sto. Niño, given as baptismal gift by Ferdinand Magellan to Cebu’s Rajah Humabon in 1521.

This Ecce Homo, which date from the late 19^th  century, was found in Pampanga. It is a folksy version, made from 2 solid wooden parts. The slim head of Christ was carved separately to fit into the upper wooden torso, draped with a neatly tied cloak.

His thin features, bulging, half-closed eyes (outfitted with glass eyes--now lost), and open mouth showing some teeth—reveal the depths of his pain and sorrow. This Christ was meant to wear a wig, but his moustache and pointed beard are carved, with many of the detailed hair strands damaged over time. 

In fact, the head, which was once painted, is pockmarked with scratches, scrapes, and woodworm damage—which dramatically added to the gravity of Jesus’s painful and humiliating torture in the hands of his tormentors. 

Indeed, the Ecce Homo serves to remind us that Christ suffered for our sake, and the image aims to encourage people to contemplate on Jesus’ sufferings, to see ourselves united with Him in sorrow and in hope-- in the face of adversities. 

351. On Exhibit: CRISTO A LA COLUMNA (Scourging at the Pillar)

This small, but incredible piece of religious folk art, came by  way of an antique dealer from Bulacan, who kept popping in at odd days in my Makati office, bearing all kinds of “antique finds”.

 One time,  without any advance warning, he went to show me an antique processional santo—in my office building, of all places. He wanted to go up my 23^rd flr. Office, but I told him to wait at the Starbucks Café on the groundfloor. 

Simple carving characterized this Cristo

When I went down to meet him, he was casually seated outdoor, with a coffee at hand---and an almost lifesize statue of a bare Sta. Magdalena on his side. He was oblivious to the stares of people around him, so I asked him to put the image back into his van!

Silver potencias shaped like sun's rays

So the next time he called to say that he had an antique to show again, I told him to quit it! But he kept on waxing praises about how rare it was—Scourging at the Pillar carving—with silver  tapiz and potencias incised with ysot design, human hair wig, folksy carving that fits my taste—--which began to intrigued me. This time, I asked him to meet me at my Makati place, where our wheeling and dealing would be more discreet. 

The figure is painted in ashen white

When he did show me the piece, I was stunned at the powerful simplicity of the small carving, barely 32 inches tall, painted ashen white. 

This Cristo has an expressionless gaze

The face of Christ itself bore no trace of agony nor tension, what with his big, downcast but staring eyes and expressionless lips. He actually has carved short hair, but was meant to wear a human hair wig over it. He has large protuding ears, carved without much details.

Note the child-like fingers

In contrast to the plain-ness of the carving which is characterized by it folk art quality, its silver metal accessories are outstanding. The 3 potencias mimic the rays of the sun, very similar to the sun’s rays on the Philippine flag. They are decorated in ysot (etched) style.

 The silver tapiz, on the other hand, is made of hammered metal, decorated with trefoil flowers and leaves on a vine. The edges are serrated. A separate silver  bow with long tails  keeps the tapiz in place. It is also decorated in repousse technique.

Trefoil foliage on the pukpok tapiz

The antique Cristo a la Columna came in its own glass case over a newer wooden base of narra, that probably dates from the 50s.

Imagine, I had meant to dismiss this dealer because of his obstructive ways, and if I had done that today, I would have missed this fabulous piece of ancient Philippine sacred art. Smitten with this rare find, I lost no time in haggling with the dealer about its price, and we arrive successfully and painlessly with the final price tag. 

Since then, I have been offered much more by other antique dealers who recognize the quality of this Cristo at the pillar. I have no plans of letting it go. The only time this Cristo gets  out of my sight is when he is borrowed for a traditional Lenten Exhibit of the Carmelite brothers every March. At least, he gets to be seen and enjoyed by santo aficionados who truly appreciate the antiquity and naïve beauty of ancient Philippine santo art. 

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(This article is dedicated in memory of Bro. Anthony “Onie” Domingo (+), Carmelite brother, and curator at Carmelite Brown Scapular, who first chose this piece from my collection for his Lenten exhibit called Misericordes Sicut Pater in 2016. For the next 4 years, the Lenten Exhibit was held annually  at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Broadway, New Manila, Quezon City, until Bro. Onie’s untimely demise in August 2020. He is lovingly missed.) 

SOURCES:

All photos from Buenviaje PH, FB page

Anthony Doming FB page