Inmaculada Concepción [Immaculate Conception]

Enhancing the appearance of devotional images was not restricted to the use of real fabrics: in many occasions, cloth was represented by other materials. In this statue made in Guatemala City, the tunic and mantle have been modeled in silver, adhering to the garments originally carved on the wooden statue. Throughout the colonial period, the political unit known as Captaincy General of Guatemala was part of the viceroyalty of New Spain (Mexico), comprising what today are Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Silver work and polychromed sculptures were among the most outstanding products of the region.