Handmade, antique Spanish silver crucifix melted down from coins.

3″ width by 4.75″ height. diameter.

Comments: Peru-Bolivia border.

I have been collecting artifacts and religious objects for many years, specializing in Asian and European vintage carvings. Don’t hesitate to ask about other stock that I might have that is not listed here.

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Sir Raffles Art History – Charles Mandel with his son.

I’ve been collecting tribal art and ethnographic carvings for years. Recently, my interest focused in on antique and vintage Santos from the Spanish Colonial diaspora, especially the Philippines. I thought Etsy would be a good place to share some of this collection and have been pleased with the connections that I have made so far.

This is my motto:

“Whatever the culture, there can be no more important art than that used as an aid for communicating with the divine. I have always found devotional artifacts fascinating to collect; there is no better way to connect with a past culture than through the objects that were important to it. Collecting Santos figures is particularly gratifying. The subject, the style and the methods of production combine to tell the tale of what the individuals in that culture valued.”

My primary business has to do with vintage baseball history. I’ve come up with a an art form that was inspired by the baseball cards of my youth. I’ve created my own series and have found quite the following for them on eBay. Learn more on my website.

With both the vintage carvings and the baseball cards, I am drawn to the human touch, to the wear and tear of handling and use. Objects and humans rubbing off on each other….