Dos Gallos Collectibles and Curiosities

18th century painting of San Geronimo, oil on canvas laid on wood board. It was later placed in a restored 19th century wood and gesso frame. There is no signature.

18th century spanish polychromed tabernacle, niche for the display of Santos. Original finish in somber tones of ochre and siena.

This charming English wooden barrel from the late 19th century showcases rustic elegance with its sturdy construction. Likely crafted from vertical wooden slats, possibly oak, this b...

A lovely antique Spanish Colonial hand carved and painted wood santo altar figure - religious folk art sculpture. 18th/19th century, possibly earlier, most likely depicting Saint F...

19th century Spanish Colonial carved giltwood Triptych of Virgin Mary & Christ Child Late 19th century, South America Of exceptional quality, the hinged three panel devotional ic...

This Spanish brass aquarium combines artisanal craftsmanship with aesthetic delight, set atop a decorative gilt iron stand. Featuring textured glass si...

MUSEUM PERFECTION ! AZTEC INFLUENCED LATIN AMERICAN COLONIAL ART AMAZINGLY RARE PIECE ! Approx. 14" x 8" x 2 1/2" After Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztec empire, painting and sculpture schools were set up within missions to produce art for Roman Catholic worship in Spanish America to promote Christian evangelization. The works that emerge from this period are great historic treasures and tell us much about this time in history. Icons were important in this conversion process. Here is an Imagene that was likely employed in a church from the 17th century. It features 5 elaborately carved faces and figures depicting angels and saints. This piece is magnificent for many reasons, but the most important reason is that this piece illustrates the bridge between the Spanish and Aztec art schools. The Aztecs had developed the most splendid feather art in the world. Feather mosaics (arte plumario in Spanish, amantecayotl in Nahuatl), were created by specially trained and talented Aztec nobles. The blue green iridescent color of hummingbird feathers had made them a regular form of tribute to Aztec rulers and art that featured these feathers were incomparable. The Spanish art instructors adopted feathers into traditional Catholic imagery and this piece shows the result of such hybrid. Here feathers are prominently sculpted into the background and were polychromed with sensational hues to reflect the native love and cultural appreciation for feather art. Few feather mosaics survive because of their temporal frailty, but the wood worked feathers in this piece give scholars and collectors a lasting indication of how Aztecs stylistically used the feathers in their pieces. Aztec religious leaders wore headdresses and garments made of feathers - and here these saints appear to be wearing feather headdresses! Even after centuries, the colors of this piece are incredibly compelling. Fragments of the rich blue green pigment that was applied to mimic the hummingbird feathers are still present. The golds, yellows and browns display spectacular understanding of complementary colors. What's more this piece also shows Aztec sun imagery incorporated into the design! On the reverse side of the Saints' faces we see a vivid blue sun burst type design which clearly was an Aztec motif of the period and has no comparable counterpart in Catholic holy treasures...

An exceptional example of Spanish Colonial style, born in Mexico in the 19th century, this large hand carved and painted santo religious folk art altar f...

19th century Spanish Colonial shrine for a Santos or statue of the Virgin Mary in the form of a church likely from New Mexico. Topped with three crosses with traces of gilding, two c...

This is an exquisite vintage depiction of Our Lady of Guadalupe, rendered in delicate hand-painted detail. The piece features soft, vibrant hues that highlight the iconic radiance of...

A scarce Spanish Colonial Hispano-Philippine hand carved santo altar figure sculpture. circa 1810 Handmade by Spanish settlers / colonists in the Philippines, late 18th / early 19th...

Spanish Colonial Religious Wood Carving Icon, Christ Crucified with Two Thieves, Late 19th Century  This late 19th-century Spanish Colonial religious wood carving icon is a finely c...