Religion

One hallmark of the American experience captured in the Museum's collections is the nation's broad diversity of religious faiths. Artifacts range from Thomas Jefferson's Bible to a huge "Sunstone" sculpture carved for a Mormon temple in Illinois in 1844 to a household shrine from the home of a Pueblo Indian in the 1990s. Furniture, musical instruments, clothing, cooking ware, and thousands of prints and figures in the collections have all played roles in the religious lives of Americans. The most comprehensive collections include artifacts from Jewish and Christian European Americans, Catholic Latinos, Protestant Arab Americans, Buddhist and Christian Asian Pacific Americans, and Protestant African Americans. One notable group is the Vidal Collection of carved figures known as santos and other folk religious material from the practice of Santeria in Puerto Rico.

A bulto (three-dimentional sculpture) of San Rafael, the archangel, patron of travelers, source of spiritual and physical health, and protector against monsters. Often, attributes for San Rafael inculde pilgrim’s dress, a fish and a staff.
Description (Brief)
A bulto (three-dimentional sculpture) of San Rafael, the archangel, patron of travelers, source of spiritual and physical health, and protector against monsters. Often, attributes for San Rafael inculde pilgrim’s dress, a fish and a staff. This image of San Rafael holds two fish (peces o truchas) and a cross (cruz) made of cedar. The chip-carved decoration on the base, attributes, hair and clothing typifies the 20th c. Cendova Style, begun by the artist’s father, Jose Dolores Lopez in 1917. The clothing has very small, etched lines to add decoration and some dimension to the clothing. Overall, the sculpture is geometiric in design. The santo is signed in black ink and given an area of origin on the underside of the pine base. The santo is identifies, dated and given the area of origin in blue ink also, by the artist, on the underside of the pine base. The base is curved inward on all four sides. Referenced in Briggs, Charles L. The Woodcarvers of Cordova, New Mexico, 1980; Wrath, William, ed. , Hispanic Crafts of the Southwest, 1977. This bulto was presented by NMAH in 1983 by Dan Sheehy of the National Endowment of the Arts/Folk Art Program. In 1982, George Lopez participated in the Office of Folklife Program’s Annual Festival of American Folklife and was awarded a National Hertitage Fellowship by the NEA Folk Art Program. It was available for sale to local, national nd international patrons.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1951 - 1961
originator (author or composer, etc.)
Lopez, George T.
maker
Lopez, George T.
ID Number
1983.0774.01
accession number
1983.0774
catalog number
1983.0774.01
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1966
ID Number
1995.0343.02
accession number
1996.0343
catalog number
1996.0343.02
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1966
ID Number
1995.0343.01
accession number
1996.0343
catalog number
1996.0343.01
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1969
maker
Plowden, David
ID Number
1986.0711.0708
accession number
1986.0711
catalog number
1986.0711.0708
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1966 - 1967
associated institution
Holy Trinity School Girl Scout Troop
ID Number
1985.0400.01
accession number
1985.0400
catalog number
1985.0400.01
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1964
maker
Plowden, David
ID Number
1986.0711.0706
accession number
1986.0711
catalog number
1986.0711.0706
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1944-1961
maker
Ruohomaa, Kosti
ID Number
PG.007295
catalog number
7295
accession number
252971
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1967
maker
Newman, Arnold
ID Number
PG.69.233.23
catalog number
69.233.23
accession number
288722
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1944-1961
maker
Ruohomaa, Kosti
ID Number
PG.007296
catalog number
7296
accession number
252971
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1944-1961
maker
Ruohomaa, Kosti
ID Number
PG.007386
catalog number
7386
accession number
252971
date made
1969
maker
Erwitt, Elliott
ID Number
PG.72.13.50
catalog number
72.13.50
accession number
2001.0310
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1969
associated date
1969
ID Number
CL.306787.27A
accession number
306787
catalog number
306787.27A
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1960
maker
Shaw-Barton
American Art Works, Inc.
ID Number
CL.306787.56
accession number
306787
catalog number
306787.56
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1800
associated dates
1966 10 27 / 1966 10 27
ID Number
CL.294110.01
accession number
294110
catalog number
294110.01
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1960
ID Number
CL.306787.58
accession number
306787
catalog number
306787.58
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1967
maker
Mayes, Harrison
ID Number
CL.306787.63A
accession number
306787
catalog number
306787.63A
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1969
ID Number
CL.306787.27C
accession number
306787
catalog number
306787.27C
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1960
ID Number
CL.306787.49
accession number
306787
catalog number
306787.49
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1960
ID Number
CL.306787.53
accession number
306787
catalog number
306787.53
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1969
ID Number
CL.306787.06
accession number
306787
catalog number
306787.06
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1960
ID Number
CL.306787.59
catalog number
306787.59
accession number
306787
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1969
maker
Mayes, Harrison
ID Number
CL.306787.07
accession number
306787
catalog number
306787.07
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1960
ID Number
CL.306787.68
accession number
306787
catalog number
306787.68
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1969
ID Number
CL.306787.27B
accession number
306787
catalog number
306787.27B

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