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Sixteenth-century Spanish colonial silver of this quality and early date are extremely rare. This exquisitely cast altar cross was created by Pedro Xuárez de Mayorga, a skilled Spanish silversmith who arrived in Guatemala in the mid-sixteenth century. The altar cross presents several hallmarks on the foot and the stem, including one that names the artist "Mayorga," and the cockle shell mark for Santiago de Guatemala (Antigua).
The iconography of the piece is rich in details about the life of Christ. The four points feature images of the evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, while the central medallion illustrates the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations, the site of Christ's final agonized meditation before his arrest. The back of the cross is also lavishly decorated with images of God the father, and the four doctors of the church. The pairing of the doctors of the church with the evangelists is a frequent iconographic motif meant to highlight their role in the interpretation of the gospels. A highly expressive figure of the crucified Christ is affixed to the front heightening the overall emotional effect of the piece.
On the stem, placed in elaborate niches are figures of the twelve apostles. The base is densely engraved with images of various prophets and Franciscan saints, which may indicate that the cross was commissioned by the Franciscan order, the first to arrive in Guatemala in 1525. The rich symbolism of this exquisitely crafted work of silver illustrates the culmination of Christ's sacrifice and the role played by key figures in Christian biblical history in promoting, defending, and disseminating the teachings of Christ, a subject that would have been addressed during the Catholic Mass. The cross can be removed from the base and was therefore likely also used as a processional cross.
The history of Guatemala began with the arrival of the conquistador Pedro de Alvarado in 1524. The original colonial capital was founded under the name of Santiago de Guatemala (modern Antigua) in 1542. The city became the economic, political, and religious center of the region until the devastating series of earthquakes of 1773, when the capital was moved to its present location. Many monastic orders were based in Antigua, and monumental pieces of silver were commissioned to decorate the interiors of churches for the Spanish and indigenous communities. This piece is an example of the great artistic mastery of colonial Guatemalan silver.
View the complete record and details of this work in Collections Online.
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Purchased with funds provided by the Bernard and Edith Lewin Collection of Mexican Art Deaccession Fund, the Decorative Arts Deaccession Fund, and Jan and Frederick R. Mayer.
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