Sto. Ninos, as carved wooden antiques, are hard to come by. This one has been with my family since our house was built. Though the texture of the carving is somewhat similar to 19th century, I suspect this was done during before or right after the war. The face (cara) and both hands are finely made by skilled artisans who I suspect were under the famous Maximo Vicente school. The cape and the base is of heavy dark wood probably ironwood. This is all speculation and intuition.
I won't probably sell this for sentimental reason since this piece reminds me of family. There are just some objects that you want to cherish because it reminds you of a period in life where happiness and love prevailed.
It's a shame that you have not blogged in awhile. You obvious are an expert on Philippine historical antiques. And while you want to preserve your heritage, there are business opportunities here for the international antiques market, which you even marketed in some blog posts. I wish I knew you, I'm an expat in Manila, I would learn from you and find a respectful way to make this an international business endeavor. At the very least, I am learning from this blog.
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