HISTORY OF SANTOS IN PUERTO RICO
The santos tradition has been alive in Puerto Rico since the 16th century. They originally served a practical purpose: for home use in rural areas that had limited access to churches. The Santos making as an art form and as a devotional tradition to the material and spiritual life of the Puerto Rican people; Santos making in its historic depth and connection to the Spanish colonial period and its evolutionary process through contemporary lifestyles. Thus, it has become a handprint for Puerto Rico. There's a santos from Puerto Rico in the Smithsonian's Museum of National History that dates to the 1500s. Initially, santos were carved out of a single block of wood; only later did the craft become more sophisticated, with separate pieces assembled together to make the finished product. Santos are hand-carved by artisans known as Santeros. Using a simple knife, these artisans (many of whom are honored as master craftsmen on the island) typically pain...
