Teodoro Vidal Collection of Puerto Rican History

Explore Puerto Rico’s history, from the 16th to the 20th centuries, through the eyes of collector Teodoro Vidal. Vidal captured the island’s history by collecting thousands of objects. Over 80 artifacts are featured here.

Showing 1 to 24 of 81 items — page 1 of 4

Carnival Mask

This papier-mâché mask was made by Miguel Caraballo in 1985.
Description
This papier-mâché mask was made by Miguel Caraballo in 1985. Masks like this are typically worn by young men from the neighborhood, who don the costume of a vejigante , a character who roams the streets during Carnival, playfully scaring children and other revelers, and swatting them with vejigas (balloon-like, inflated animal bladders).
Description (Spanish)
Esta máscara de papel maché fue confeccionada por Miguel Caraballo en 1985.
Para la época del carnaval, los jóvenes del barrio acostumbran disfrazarse de vejigantes con máscaras como ésta y salen a deambular por las calles asustando a los niños y concurrentes a la fiesta, dándoles palmadas con sus vejigas (vejigas de animales infladas como globos y puestas a secar).
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1985
maker
Caraballo, Miguel Angel
ID Number
1997.0097.0002
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.0002

Carnival Mask

Mask maker Antonio Muñiz has added the horns of a traditional carnaval de Ponce mask (usually representing a devilish face) to a gorilla.
Description
Mask maker Antonio Muñiz has added the horns of a traditional carnaval de Ponce mask (usually representing a devilish face) to a gorilla. This papier-mâché mask has an articulated jaw and a vinyl tongue.
Description (Spanish)
El artesano Antonio Muñiz creó esta máscara agregándole a un gorila los cuernos de una máscara tradicional del carnaval de Ponce (las que por lo general representan un rostro diabólico). Esta máscara de papel maché cuenta con una mandíbula articulada y una lengua de vinilo.
Collection Ethnic
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1980
maker
Muniz, Antonio
ID Number
1997.0097.0009
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.0009

Máscara de Carnaval

Although introduced by Spanish settlers, the island's carnival celebrations, like mask making, music, and public performance, have developed into uniquely Puerto Rican traditions that also reflect the customs and sensibilities of Puerto Ricans' African ancestors.
Description
Although introduced by Spanish settlers, the island's carnival celebrations, like mask making, music, and public performance, have developed into uniquely Puerto Rican traditions that also reflect the customs and sensibilities of Puerto Ricans' African ancestors. This carnival mask pictured here was made by Félix Vázquez. Its comical eyelashes are complimented by a set of teeth that once belonged to a horse or donkey.
Description (Spanish)
Si bien los colonos españoles fueron quienes introdujeron en la isla las celebraciones del carnaval, tales como la fabricación de máscaras, la música y las representaciones públicas, en la isla se desarrollaron tradiciones exclusivamente puertorriqueñas que reflejan las costumbres y sentimientos de sus ancestros africanos. La Máscara de Carnaval que aquí se ilustra es una obra de Félix Vázquez, en la cual sus cómicas pestañas se complementan con un conjunto de dientes que alguna vez pertenecieran a un caballo o burro.
Date made
20th century
maker
Vazquez, Felix A.
ID Number
1997.0097.0012
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.0012

Máscara de Carnaval

This elaborate mask, made around 1980, is painted in red and black, the colors of the city of Ponce.
Description
This elaborate mask, made around 1980, is painted in red and black, the colors of the city of Ponce. Masks like this are typically worn by young men from the neighborhood, who don the costume of a vejigante, a character who roams the streets during Carnival, playfully scaring children and other revelers, and swatting them with vejigas (balloon-like, inflated animal bladders).
Description (Spanish)
Esta elaborada máscara, confeccionada alrededor de 1980, está pintada en rojo y negro, los colores de la ciudad de Ponce. Para la época del carnaval, los jóvenes del barrio acostumbran a disfrazarse de vejigantes con máscaras como ésta y salen a deambular por las calles asustando a los niños y concurrentes a la fiesta, dándoles palmadas con sus vejigas (vejigas de animales infladas como globos y puestas a secar).
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1980
ID Number
1997.0097.0016
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.0016

Máscara de Carnaval

Carnival celebrations featuring performers dressed as devils are found in Puerto Rico and the rest Latin America. The presence of these characters during Carnival is understood by many as an ancient reference to the contest between good and evil.
Description
Carnival celebrations featuring performers dressed as devils are found in Puerto Rico and the rest Latin America. The presence of these characters during Carnival is understood by many as an ancient reference to the contest between good and evil. The devilish mask pictured here was made for the carnaval de Ponce. Its collector, Teodoro Vidal, played a key role in publicizing the Ponce carnival and documenting its traditions of mask making and public performance.
Description (Spanish)
Las celebraciones de carnaval durante las cuales se observan individuos disfrazados de diablos son comunes en Puerto Rico y el resto de América Latina. Muchos interpretan la presencia de estos personajes durante el carnaval como una antigua referencia a la contienda entre el bien y el mal. La máscara diabólica que aquí se representa fue confeccionada para el Carnaval de Ponce. Su coleccionista, Teodoro Vidal, desempeñó un papel fundamental en la promoción del Carnaval de Ponce mediante la documentación de sus artesanías de máscaras y dramatizaciones públicas.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1980
ID Number
1997.0097.0024
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.0024

Niño Jesús

Jesus Christ is represented in a variety of forms in Catholic art and devotion, one of the most familiar being the scene of his crucifixion. Almost as frequently, Christ is shown as an infant, often being held by his mother, the Virgin Mary.
Description
Jesus Christ is represented in a variety of forms in Catholic art and devotion, one of the most familiar being the scene of his crucifixion. Almost as frequently, Christ is shown as an infant, often being held by his mother, the Virgin Mary. This wooden figure of El Niño Jesús, the Christ Child, is from the late 19th century.
Description (Spanish)
Existen múltiples representaciones de Jesucristo en el arte y la devoción católicos, siendo una de las más familiares la escena de su crucifixión. Casi con la misma frecuencia se representa a Cristo cuando era niño, a menudo en brazos de su madre, la Virgen María. Esta figura de madera del Niño Jesús data de fines del siglo XIX.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
Late 19th century
ID Number
1997.0097.0035
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.0035

Disfraz de Carnaval

This homemade costume was made for the Ponce carnival. It has a cape attached at the neck made from the same black and red striped fabric (black and red are the colors of the city of Ponce).
Description
This homemade costume was made for the Ponce carnival. It has a cape attached at the neck made from the same black and red striped fabric (black and red are the colors of the city of Ponce). Carnival participants who wear costumes like this one, in addition to a mask, and other carnival accoutrements like matching shoes, canes, and gloves, are called vejigantes. Vejigantes are famous for playfully swatting at carnival-goers with a vejiga, a dried, inflated bladder. When a real animal bladder in not available, an empty water bottle is an acceptable substitute.
Description (Spanish)
Este disfraz casero se confeccionó para el carnaval de Ponce. Lleva una capa adherida al cuello, hecha del mismo género de franjas negras y rojas (el negro y el rojo son los colores de la ciudad de Ponce). A los participantes del carnaval que visten trajes como éste -además de la máscara y otros accesorios, como calzado haciendo juego, bastones y guantes- se los llaman vejigantes. Los vejigantes son famosos por deambular por las calles dando palmadas con sus vejigas (vejigas infladas y secas) a los concurrentes a la celebración. En caso de no contarse con vejigas reales de animales, se aceptan como sustitutos botellas de agua vacía.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1980
ID Number
1997.0097.0047
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.0047

Water Jug

Chickens are a familiar decorative theme in household objects. This contemporary chicken-shaped botijo, or water jug is made of terra cotta with a removable stopper in the form of a chicken head.Las gallinas constituyen un tema de decoración popular en los objetos domésticos.
Description
Chickens are a familiar decorative theme in household objects. This contemporary chicken-shaped botijo, or water jug is made of terra cotta with a removable stopper in the form of a chicken head.
Description (Spanish)
Las gallinas constituyen un tema de decoración popular en los objetos domésticos. Este botijo contemporáneo con forma de gallina está hecho de terracota y tiene un tapón desmontable que representa la cabeza del animal.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1980
ID Number
1997.0097.0082
catalog number
1997.0097.0082
accession number
1997.0097

Pilón

This mortar and pestle were used to grind coffee beans after they were dried and roasted. Coffee was a major cash crop in Puerto Rico, second only to sugar. It grows well in the low mountains of the island, like the fertile area around the town of Yauco in the southwest.
Description
This mortar and pestle were used to grind coffee beans after they were dried and roasted. Coffee was a major cash crop in Puerto Rico, second only to sugar. It grows well in the low mountains of the island, like the fertile area around the town of Yauco in the southwest. In the 19th century many Corsicans settled in this region and played a significant role in developing the island's coffee economy, both as growers and exporters.
Description (Spanish)
El pilón se usaba para machacar los granos de café una vez secos y tostados. El café constituía un cultivo comercial de gran relevancia en Puerto Rico, el segundo en importancia después del azúcar. Se da bien en las montañas bajas de la isla, como por ejemplo en la zona fértil alrededor de la ciudad de Yauco, en el sudoeste. Durante el siglo XIX se establecieron en esta región muchos colonos oriundos de Córcega, quienes desempeñaron un papel esencial en el desarrollo de la economía de la isla en torno al café, impulsando tanto la producción como la exportación.
Date made
ca 1970
ID Number
1997.0097.0129
catalog number
1997.0097.0129
accession number
1997.0097

Branding iron

This branding iron was used in the 20th century to brand cattle with the letters "HC." While cattle and other livestock were introduced to Puerto Rico and throughout the Caribbean in the earliest years of Spanish settlement, by the 20th century most land on the island was geared
Description
This branding iron was used in the 20th century to brand cattle with the letters "HC." While cattle and other livestock were introduced to Puerto Rico and throughout the Caribbean in the earliest years of Spanish settlement, by the 20th century most land on the island was geared towards a cash crop economy based on sugar cane, coffee, tobacco, and other agricultural products grown for export.
Description (Spanish)
Esta marca de hierro se usó en el siglo XX para marcar el ganado con las letras "HC". Si bien el ganado fue introducido en Puerto Rico y el Caribe durante los primeros años de la colonización española, ya para el siglo XX la mayoría de las tierras de la isla se destinaban a cultivos comerciales basados en la caña de azúcar, el café, el tabaco y otros productos agropecuarios sembrados para la exportación.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.0138
catalog number
1997.0097.0138
accession number
1997.0097

Tile from La Fortaleza

This tile is from La Fortaleza, a military and government complex in San Juan built to defend the city from naval attacks. Construction began in 1533 and was finished in 1540.
Description
This tile is from La Fortaleza, a military and government complex in San Juan built to defend the city from naval attacks. Construction began in 1533 and was finished in 1540. This tile resembles the Spanish ceramic style of Talavera, a tile factory established in the 16th century near the city of Toledo, Spain. The tiles produced in Spain became widely used and copied throughout the Spanish colonies.
Description (Spanish)
Esta loseta proviene de La Fortaleza, un complejo militar y gubernamental de San Juan, edificado para defender a la ciudad de ataques navales, cuya construcción comenzó en 1533 y concluyó en 1540. El estilo de esta pieza se asemeja al español propio de Talavera, una fábrica de cerámica establecida en el siglo XVI cerca de la ciudad de Toledo, España. La cerámica que se fabricaba en España se utilizó y reprodujo ampliamente a la largo de las colonias españolas.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
18th century
ID Number
1997.0097.0142
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.0142

Cuello de Encaje

In Puerto Rico, the traditional center of lace making is the town of Moca. There, lace is made by hand on bobbins and is known as mundillo. Bobbin lace is a complicated process of weaving together different spools of thread held in place by pins.
Description
In Puerto Rico, the traditional center of lace making is the town of Moca. There, lace is made by hand on bobbins and is known as mundillo. Bobbin lace is a complicated process of weaving together different spools of thread held in place by pins. Lace making today is undergoing a resurgence of popularity among a new generation of lace makers on and off the island.
Description (Spanish)
Moca constituye el centro tradicional del tejido de encaje en Puerto Rico. Allí se hace el encaje a mano en bolillo que se conoce como mundillo. El encaje de bolillos es un proceso complicado que consiste en el entretejido de diferentes bovinas de hilo que se sujetan mediante alfileres. El tejido de encaje está recuperando la popularidad gracias a una nueva generación de tejedores dentro y fuera de la isla.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.0156
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.0156

Funda de Almohada

Lace-making and sewing were more than utilitarian projects. They allowed young girls to express themselves artistically while learning discipline and attention to detail. This embroidered linen and lace pillow sham belonged to Miguel Roses at the turn of the 20th century.
Description
Lace-making and sewing were more than utilitarian projects. They allowed young girls to express themselves artistically while learning discipline and attention to detail. This embroidered linen and lace pillow sham belonged to Miguel Roses at the turn of the 20th century. Bird and flower designs surround the monogram in the center.
Description (Spanish)
El tejido de encaje no se consideraba únicamente como proyecto utilitario, sino también como una actividad mediante la cual las niñas podían expresarse artísticamente, a la vez que aprendían disciplina y atención al detalle. Esta ropa blanca bordada junto a la funda de almohada hecha en encaje pertenecieron a Miguel Roses a comienzos del siglo XX. Se observa el diseño de un pájaro y una flor rodeando el monograma central.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
user
Rosas, Miguel
ID Number
1997.0097.0158
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.0158

The All-Powerful Hand

The ancient symbol of a protective hand is common to Christians, Jews, and Muslims. This figure, the Mano Poderosa or All-Powerful Hand, from the late 1800s, is a specifically Catholic version of its Roman predecessor.
Description
The ancient symbol of a protective hand is common to Christians, Jews, and Muslims. This figure, the Mano Poderosa or All-Powerful Hand, from the late 1800s, is a specifically Catholic version of its Roman predecessor. The five small figures atop the fingers are: Baby Jesus on the thumb; St. Joseph on the index finger; the Virgin Mary on the middle finger; St. Joachim (Mary's father) on the fourth finger; and St. Anne (Mary's mother) on the pinkie.
Description (Spanish)
El antiguo símbolo de una mano protectora es común a cristianos, judíos y musulmanes. Esta figura de la Mano Poderosa, del fin del siglo XIX, es una versión específicamente católica de su predecesora romana. Las cinco figuras pequeñas en el extremo superior de los dedos son: el niño Jesús en el pulgar; San José en el índice; la Virgen María en el mayor; San Joaquín (padre de María) en el anular y Santa Ana (madre de María) en el meñique.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
late 19th century
maker
Caban Group
Caban Group
ID Number
1997.0097.0225
catalog number
1997.0097.0225
accession number
1997.0097

Piene de Mujer

This tortoiseshell woman's hair comb dates from the 19th century. A precursor to plastics, tortoiseshell and horn were common materials used in combs since they could be made soft and moldable by heating.
Description
This tortoiseshell woman's hair comb dates from the 19th century. A precursor to plastics, tortoiseshell and horn were common materials used in combs since they could be made soft and moldable by heating. As they cooled, they would harden and keep their new shape.
Description (Spanish)
Peine de mujer hecho con caparazón de tortuga, procedente del siglo XIX. Los caparazones de tortuga y los cuernos eran materiales comúnmente utilizados para la fabricación de peines por ser susceptibles a ablandarse y modelarse mediante calor. Al enfriarse, se endurecían conservando la nueva forma.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
19th century
ID Number
1997.0097.0305.001
catalog number
1997.0097.0305.001
accession number
1997.0097

Sewing Kit

Both on the island and in "the States," many working women found jobs in textile mills and garment factories to support themselves and add to their family incomes.
Description
Both on the island and in "the States," many working women found jobs in textile mills and garment factories to support themselves and add to their family incomes. Poorer women took in piecework at home, and were often involved in the labor-intensive production of handmade garments that only the wealthy could afford. Needlework of all kinds-knitting, crocheting, and embroidery-and the use of sewing machines were seen as a material way for a young girl to help support her family.
Description (Spanish)
Tanto en la isla como en "los Estados", muchas mujeres buscaban trabajo en las industrias textiles y fábricas de indumentaria a fin de contribuir con su propio sustento y el de sus familias. Las mujeres más pobres se llevaban el trabajo a la casa y a menudo formaban parte de la mano de obra intensiva que requería la producción de vestimenta hecha a mano, la cual sólo los ricos podían costear. Todo tipo de costura -tejido, crochet y bordado- se consideraba como un modo material mediante el que una joven podía colaborar con el sustento de la familia.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
early 20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.0593.001
catalog number
1997.0097.0593.001
accession number
1997.0097

Naipes

These hand-painted playing cards or naipes are from the 19th century. Most playing cards used in Puerto Rico and the rest of Latin America were imported from Spain and were used for both gaming and fortune-telling.
Description
These hand-painted playing cards or naipes are from the 19th century. Most playing cards used in Puerto Rico and the rest of Latin America were imported from Spain and were used for both gaming and fortune-telling. They differ in both number and suits from the standard card decks used in North America.
Description (Spanish)
Juego de naipes pintados a mano del siglo XIX. Los naipes que se usaban en Puerto Rico, así como en el resto de América Latina eran por lo general importados de España y se usaban tanto para el juego como para la cartomancia. Diferían tanto en los números como en las estampas de los mazos de cartas usados en América del Norte.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
19th century
publisher
Fournier, Heralio
ID Number
1997.0097.0600
catalog number
1997.0097.0600
accession number
1997.0097

Trinchante y Hacha

This hatchet and knife from the Hormigueros region were used in carving santos. The hatchet is 16 cm. long, and the handle is made of the native guayalote wood and has a hole pierced near the end. The knife has a 9 cm.
Description
This hatchet and knife from the Hormigueros region were used in carving santos. The hatchet is 16 cm. long, and the handle is made of the native guayalote wood and has a hole pierced near the end. The knife has a 9 cm. wooden handle carved into a spiral shape.
Description (Spanish)
Esta hacha y trinchante provenientes de la región de Hormigueros se utilizaban para el tallado de santos. El hacha tiene 16 centímetros de largo y el mango está hecho de madera nativa de guayabote y presenta una perforación cerca del extremo. El trinchante tiene un mango de 9 cm. de largo tallado en forma de espiral.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.0324
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.0324

Amuleto en Forma de Espada

This 20th century protective amulet takes the form of a sword. Amulets like this are worn with the belief that they ward off evil, danger, or bad luck, and provide strength and reassurance to the wearer.Amuleto de protección del siglo XX en forma de espada.
Description
This 20th century protective amulet takes the form of a sword. Amulets like this are worn with the belief that they ward off evil, danger, or bad luck, and provide strength and reassurance to the wearer.
Description (Spanish)
Amuleto de protección del siglo XX en forma de espada. Estos amuletos se portan bajo la creencia de que previenen contra el mal, el peligro o la mala suerte y de que otorgan fortaleza y convicción a quien las lleva.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.0325
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.0325

Plato de Madera

Carved from a single piece of wood, this large and oblong shallow wood platter was probably used for drying coffee or serving sweets in the early 20th century.Este gran plato de madera oblongo y llano, tallado de una sola pieza, se empleaba probablemente para secar café o servir
Description
Carved from a single piece of wood, this large and oblong shallow wood platter was probably used for drying coffee or serving sweets in the early 20th century.
Description (Spanish)
Este gran plato de madera oblongo y llano, tallado de una sola pieza, se empleaba probablemente para secar café o servir dulces al comienzo del siglo XX.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
early 20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.0357
catalog number
1997.0097.0357
accession number
1997.0097

Slave shackles

In the 15th century, decades before they sailed into the Caribbean, Spanish merchants, captains, and adventurers had already conquered and enslaved the people of the Canary Islands in the eastern Atlantic Ocean.
Description
In the 15th century, decades before they sailed into the Caribbean, Spanish merchants, captains, and adventurers had already conquered and enslaved the people of the Canary Islands in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. On the western coast of continental Africa, the Portuguese had been cultivating a slavery-based economic policy. This legacy of conquest and slavery shaped the colonization of Puerto Rico and other islands in the Caribbean. Some of the first American encounters between Europeans, Indians, and Africans took place in Puerto Rico, and its early history of genocidal violence and physical exploitation was repeated throughout the Americas.
Description (Spanish)
En el siglo XV, décadas antes de las navegaciones al Caribe, los mercaderes, capitanes y aventureros españoles ya habían conquistado y esclavizado a los pueblos de las Islas Canarias en el Océano Atlántico oriental. Asimismo, en la costa oeste del África continental, los portugueses habían desarrollado una política económica basada en la esclavitud. Este legado de conquista y esclavitud se trasladó a las colonias de Puerto Rico e islas del Caribe. Algunos de los primeros encuentros que tuvieron lugar en América entre europeos, indios y africanos sucedieron en Puerto Rico, repitiéndose allí como a lo largo de toda América, una temprana historia de violencia genocida y explotación física.
Date made
19th century
ID Number
1997.0097.0370
catalog number
1997.0097.0370
accession number
1997.0097

St. Raymond Nonnatus

San Ramón Nonato is associated with secrets and silence. He is the patron saint of both victims of gossip and women in labor. Born in Catalonia in the early 13th century, his mother died in labor and he was surgically removed from her womb.
Description
San Ramón Nonato is associated with secrets and silence. He is the patron saint of both victims of gossip and women in labor. Born in Catalonia in the early 13th century, his mother died in labor and he was surgically removed from her womb. He was an ardent and persecuted Christian missionary in North Africa. To stop him from converting others to Christianity, his lips were pierced with a hot iron and clamped shut with a lock.
Description (Spanish)
San Ramón Nonato se relaciona con los secretos y el silencio. Él es el santo patrón de las víctimas de chismes y de las mujeres que dan a luz. Nació en Cataluña a principios
del siglo XIII; su madre falleció durante el alumbramiento y debió extraerse al niño del vientre materno mediante cirugía. Se convirtió en un ardiente proselitista cristiano, por lo cual fue activamente perseguido en el norte de África. A fin de evitar que siguiera convirtiendo a otros seguidores al cristianismo, se le perforaron los labios con un hierro candente y se le sujetaron con un candado.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
n.d.
ID Number
1997.0097.0403
catalog number
1997.0097.0403
accession number
1997.0097

Our Lady of Solitude (?)

This figure is probably the Virgen de la Soledad. The title of Our Lady of Solitude is attributed to her faith-filled vigil on Holy Saturday, as she awaited the resurrection of her son, Jesus Christ.Esta figura probablemente sea una representación de la Virgen de la Soledad.
Description
This figure is probably the Virgen de la Soledad. The title of Our Lady of Solitude is attributed to her faith-filled vigil on Holy Saturday, as she awaited the resurrection of her son, Jesus Christ.
Description (Spanish)
Esta figura probablemente sea una representación de la Virgen de la Soledad. El título de Virgen de la Soledad se atribuye a la soledad colmada de fe que ella debió sobrellevar el sábado de gloria mientras aguardaba la resurrección de su hijo, Jesucristo.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
late 19th - 20th century
ID Number
1997.0097.0459
catalog number
1997.0097.0459
accession number
1997.0097

Los Tres Reyes Magos

On the Catholic calendar, the Three Kings are celebrated on the 6th of January. On this date Puerto Rican children traditionally expected their Christmas gifts, not from Santa Claus, but from the Three Kings.
Description
On the Catholic calendar, the Three Kings are celebrated on the 6th of January. On this date Puerto Rican children traditionally expected their Christmas gifts, not from Santa Claus, but from the Three Kings. In Puerto Rico, the Three Kings, (in Spanish called Reyes Magos) are depicted as riding horses, not camels. According to the Bible, these kings are said to come from the east, although popular tradition identifies one of the kings as Melchor and depicts him as African in origin. The figure of Melchor is one of the first representations of a black person in Puerto Rican art. This set of Three Kings is from the town of Morovis, probably crafted around 1990 by a member of the Rivera family.
Description (Spanish)
El calendario católico fija la celebración del Día de Reyes para el 6 de enero. Los niños puertorriqueños esperaban que este día los Reyes Magos, y no Santa Claus, les trajeran sus regalos de Navidad. En Puerto Rico, los Reyes Magos se representan montados a caballo en vez de en camellos. A pesar de que la Biblia dice que estos reyes venían del este, la tradición popular describe a uno de los reyes, Melchor, con características de origen africano. La figura de Melchor es una de las primeras representaciones de una persona de raza negra en el arte puertorriqueño. Esta artesanía de los Reyes Magos proviene del pueblo de Morovis y es probable que su creador haya sido uno de los miembros de la familia Rivera.
Date made
late 19th century
maker
Rivera Group
ID Number
1997.0097.0506
catalog number
1997.0097.0506
accession number
1997.0097

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