I learned that the original Santos dolls were carved by Santeros (carvers of santos) and priests in the 1700's and 1800's for small villages that did not have churches or for people who could not travel to church to use as altars in their homes. Some were commonly vested in ornate religious clothing and jewels, often expensive and funded by religious devotees.
These statues were also brought to Latin America and The Caribbean by Spaniards settling in the New World and used to aid in trying to convert the natives to Catholicism.
Mannequin style statues often with removable arms, and movable limbs, sometimes caged into a frame to build shape are referred to as Bastidor or cage-style. Fully detailed ones are Detallado statues.
Santos cage dolls are hugely popular with many doll and mixed-media artists and collectors. You can buy the cage premade, or make one yourself and then fashion your doll – cloth, clay, wood, etc. – over it.
Even though the challenge was over, I just had to make one of these dolls. I found an online class
by Jennifer Rizzo that taught me the basics of making the Santos Doll. Excellent class!!!
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and here is my finished Santos Cage Angel Doll!!
