The Immaculate Conception.

                                                        "The Immaculate Conception."

Sculptor:- unknown.

Material:- Quartz crystal.

Size:- 58Cm high x 31cm wide x 20 cm deep.

Wooden Base:- Bottom, 34cm x 20.5cm.

                Top:- 29.5cm x 19cm x 8cm deep.

Circa:- 1900 to 1910.

 This “Immaculate Conception” sculpture is unique in that it is made from beautiful white Quartz Crystal from the Benguet area. It was obtained by a collector in the late 1960's and has been in that collection until now.

The sculpture was purchased directly from the folk sculptors family members, unfortunately all records of who the sculptor was have vanished with time.

This sculpture was purchased with the head broken and reattached to the sculpture, it is not known but suspected that the damage occurred during the sculptural process as Quartz Crystal, it is a very hard and brittle crystal and difficult medium to work in.

This very beautiful and unique work is carved out of one piece of Quartz Crystal.  

Pure quartz, traditionally called rock crystal or clear quartz, is colorless and transparent or translucent, and has often been used for hard stone carving.

This is a masterly sculpted work, the detail of the face, hands and clothing are very well carved. There is a soft resonance within this work.

I do find this piece quite alluring and there is an inner quality, a quiet serene presence about this sculpture that is difficult to explain and yet you can sense it when you come into its presence. One viewer wanted to touch the sculpture as she felt a desire within herself to rub her hands on the base as she felt she was being drawn into its healing presence.

This “ Immaculate Conception” Sculpture is an experience to behold, this is no ordinary sculpture.

This exceptional piece is very unique and in all our research we have not at this point in time found another Immaculate Conception carved in such a large Quartz crystal.

Historical text speaks about the nature of light and Quartz crystal, “Light (the Son) striking the crystal (Mary) has long been the symbol of the Immaculate Conception.” 

The Immaculate Conception, according to the teaching of the Catholic Church was the conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the womb of her mother, Saint Anne free from original sin by virtue of the foreseen merits of her son Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church teaches that Mary was conceived by normal biological means, but God acted upon her soul (keeping her "immaculate") at the time of her conception.
The Immaculate Conception is commonly and mistakenly taken to mean the conception of Mary's son Jesus Christ in her own womb, and the virgin birth of Jesus. These are covered by the doctrine of the Incarnation, while the Immaculate Conception deals with the conception of Mary herself, not that of her son.

 Power and Healing qualities of Natural Quartz Crystal
The clear quartz crystal is one of the most sacred stones of ancient cultures. Its clarity and transparency give it a mirror quality through which things can be seen clearly. The natural quartz crystal symbolizes white light energy.
The power of the crystal can be found in its structure - growing and reaching up toward light from the deepest parts of earth. It is a conductor of energy - both as a receiver and a transmitter. It is important to keep your crystal clean in order to protect it from outside negative vibrations. Your personal crystals will attune themselves to your vibrations, as you will attune to the natural vibrations of the crystal. Choose crystals that seem to speak to you or that you feel attracted to for best results.

Clear quartz crystals have been used for centuries in healing. 

Crystals have been used for healing the body, transforming the spirit, inspiring intuitive insight, guarding against negative vibrations, and smoothing the energy flows of spirit and body. 

This beautiful Quartz crystal sculpture of “The Immaculate Conception,”

Written by,

Mark Shellshear.

Art Consultant

NENA SAGUIL, “ La Crepusle de Dieux” [ Twilight of the Gods]

NENA SAGUIL, “ La Crepusle de Dieux” [ Twilight of the Gods]

Oil on canvas, 57ins x 37ins.

[The photograph of the painting has been cropped as the principles did not want it displayed in its entirety, it is available for viewing at Galeria de las Islas.]

 This wonderful painting by Nena Saguil is clearly one of her signature paintings and has never been on exhibition before in the Philippines..

The simplicity of this magnificent painting is its strongest asset. The cluster of Islands on the ocean, with the setting sun behind them and the risen moon in the foreground, so set the tenor of the painting.

Nena had built her artistic career as an ex-pat Filipina artist in Paris and I feel that this painting is so symbolic of that life she lived there, even the title, “ The Twilight of the Gods” sends out a certain but subdued message.

The expatiate artist will always be in the French society but separate from, always the ex-pat is pulled in two directions and as with all loves, time apart does build a romantic view of the past, coloring it brightly as imagined memories take over from real memories.

Within this painting we get to find a moment, caught in time like an old fashioned snap shot photograph of her Parisian life verses her Philippines homeland.

This piece was painted in Paris, and within this painting I see the longing of the Filipino heart for certainty, direction and acceptance.

My vision of this painting sees these islands representing her homeland, far away, still a magical place set in a golden sea and the tropical Sun setting slowly behind the islands, as if setting on her ever returning home to her beloved Philippines.

I see the moon so large and majestic rising out of the golden ocean, so symbolic of her new life in Europe and her increasing fame as her art career now dominates her world. The blue of the moon ever increasing in size as her artistic career grows and grows, the pink sky slowly pushing away the tropical colors of the Philippines. 

Her career had her on a different journey now where the colors of the tropics had changed into the subtle cooler colors of her Parisian lifestyle. 

To me this is a very happy and serene painting, even though the title would suggest a closing of times, being twilight.

The Gods are her two loves, the Philippines, the Islands and the Sun and Paris the Moon and her art career and yet it is a twilight time. The painting speaks of a happy remembered past, an artistic career chosen in a foreign land and yet something is lost?

Nena's success was in Paris, she had a loyal following of collectors there and fans that stretched all the way back to the Philippines.

This painting “La Crepusle De Dieux” is such a confident work by mature artist at the height of her genius, it is a signature piece.

As I said earlier the simplicity of this painting shows the great strength of a confident painter but the story it tells is of a complicated life caught between the life of Paris and the ever present call of the Philippines.

I find it one of those paintings that the more you study it, the more it gives back to you.

Nena Saguil was a Filipina painter, she was a beautiful, intelligent, courageous woman painter who bravely paved a path for all Filipino ex-pat artists to follow.

I commend this truly wonderful painting to you, full of life and vitality, yet within its joyfulness is the subtle feeling of a longing for home, as only an ex-pat would understand.

Nena was very much part of the Parisian culture that she had embraced, but a tiny piece of her heart still longed for her beloved homeland.

Nena Saguil, 1924 – 1994.

Written by, 

Mark E Shellshear.

Art consultant.