St. Peter the Apostle

Wood, gesso, paint; glass eyes with some eyelashes remaining, carved hair; sculpted teeth, some missing; paper crown; fabric garments
Approximately 5 feet tall (152 cm.).
Church of the Virgen de la Natividad, Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca, Mexico

St. Peter the Apostle is identified by the triple crown and triple cross (symbols of the papacy), the keys in his right hand, and the short, square beard.

The saint wears a purple chasuble the outer garment worn by the priest at Mass woven with symbols of the Trinity. This same fabric appears in blue on the trousers of Santiago at Cuilapan and in red on the another San Pedro at Teotitlán.

The hands are badly damaged, and the keys and cross are tied onto them. The crown is held on by a yellow ribbon at the chin. A heavy knot between the eyes and a sad downward turn of the mouth make the face seem pained. The tips of the crosspieces on the triple cross are painted silver.

Read more about images of St. Peter.

Photographed at the church by Claire and Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.