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From
the Hispanic Society's small but highly important collection
of jet statuettes and amulets comes this figure of St.
James the Great. Galicia possesses rich deposits of jet
which sculptors have worked from early times. As early
as the fourteenth century, the practice of carving these
pieces had become widespread and the artists acquired
sufficient prominence in Santiago de Compostela that
in 1443 they formed their own guild. Beginning in the
late fifteenth century, inventories and literary sources
show that objects, such as amulets, rosaries, and small
sculptures, made from jet were highly prized. Much of
this work was geared to the pilgrims who flocked to Santiago
de Compostela to visit the shrine of St. James the Great.
Not surprisingly, surviving pieces frequently depict
St. James, scallop shells that are the emblem of the saint, or amulets.
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that
are the emblem of the saint, or amulets.Because
the stone breaks easily and is not quarried in large pieces,
most works are small. Thus the piece illustrated
here is remarkable for its size as well as its quality. The
depiction of the saint follows the standard type; dressed
as a pilgrim, holding a book and staff, he wears a tunic
and broad-rimmed hat with the scallop shell. The statue is
further distinguished by its fine carving, particularly in
details such as the saint's face, the buttons on his tunic,
or the binding of the book. The sculptor then enhances these
features by the application of gilding. Finally, the statue
includes a diminutive kneeling figure, traditionally thought
to represent the pilgrim seeking protection from the saint. |
