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Lot 127 : 18TH C. SPANISH COLONIAL SILVER BANNER (GONFALON)

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18TH C. SPANISH COLONIAL SILVER BANNER (GONFALON)
Guatemala, inscribed on edge of pole slot Soi de la de Sn Vincente de Austria ano 1750 me facit
double-sided, the reticulated banner constructed with interwoven floral and vine motifs with pierced lace-like borders; a gilt silver oval to each side, one shows the lamb of God, the other a clergyman with a crooked staff (crozier) representing the region's bishop/authority; topped with a cross, 17.5" by 17"; approx. 80.5 troy oz.
Austria refers to the full name of the town, not the European country. In 1750 San Vincente was a small municipality in the rich farmlands of the La Capitania General de Guatemala (now Salvador). The small population was dominated by a handful of wealthy Spanish families who organized the cultivation of indigo for export. There was no local church, but there was probably a cofradia (an organization of Catholic laymen) managed by clergy from Antiqua, the colonial capital, where silversmiths produced the gonfalon.
A similar example is in the collection of San Antonio Museum of Art, Texas. Also see, "El Arte de las Plateria en las Capitania Generl de Guatemala Glossario", pp. 212 to 217.
Very fine condition; small flake of gilt missing in clergy's oval; wood pole not original.
Estimate: $5,000 - $8,000
Realized: $8,000 - Excluding Buyer's Premium


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