Beautifully Aged, Serene Antique Carved Santos with Colorful Base antique christmas The center of the lid

The center of the lid and base of the basket are woven with sweetgrass on the splint structure

which also seems ripe for becoming common once again

with a great shape and arc to the teeth

who shared a love of craft and form

Beautifully Aged, Serene Antique Carved Santos with Colorful Base antique christmas The center of the lidSuch a tall and gentle, serene feeling one, perhaps representing St. Francis, my favorite saint of all, but I'm not entirely certain. With a wonderfully carved face, the wood softened in the best way over the years, and perfect craquelure to the polychrome. The head was carved as a separate piece, and can be pulled out as the arms were somewhere along the way. The nicely colorful painted base is part of the carving, not a separate piece. 12 1 2" t. 3