Skip to main content Smithsonian Institution

Catalog Data

Donor Name:
National Museum of Natural History  Search this
Height - Statue:
26.4 cm
Maximum Width - Statue:
19.4 cm
Maximum Depth - Statue:
10 cm
Culture:
Cuban  Search this
Object Type:
Figure
Place:
Cuba (not certain), Caribbean (not certain)
Accession Date:
7 Nov 2019
Notes:
Statue of Black Madonna of Regla, Cuba, who is associated with the Santeria orisa Yemanja. The Madonna carries a Christ child and stands on a cloud with three cherub heads. Glued to the bottom of the base is a sticker saying Made in Guatemala. In Regla, a borough of Havana, on the Virgin's feast day, September 7, the faithful come to Cuba's National Sanctuary of Our Lady of Regla, continuing a tradition that began in the 17th century. The present day statue of the black Madonna is an exact copy of the original statue that was brought from Spain in 1696 by Sergeant Major Don Pedro de Aranda y Avellaneda and placed on the altar of the rebuilt church that substituted the original wooden structure that had been destroyed by a hurricane. Copies of the statue of the Virgin of Regla are put on orisha altars, but they are never used in ceremonies. This statue was on exhibit in the Rhythms of Identity exhibition at the Smithsonian Latino Center (2000). The goal of the RI collection was to provide context for Afro-Cuban musical instruments. Most items were bought in Cuban botanicas and are mass-produced religious items.
Record Last Modified:
18 Nov 2020
Specimen Count:
1
Topic:
Ethnology  Search this
Accession Number:
2082129
USNM Number:
E436204-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/359474382-278c-476c-87d4-5d4b2d22061f
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_14366599