Diana Fane, Brooklyn Museum

Diana Fane discusses examples of edible ex-votos from Southern Italy and Mexico, regions in which Christian and pre-Christian traditions frequently co-exist: their domestic production and significance for the local community; their role as substitutions for and imitations of the “real thing” whether it be a human, animal, or natural formation; the medicinal or sacred properties attributed to the medium; and the ease with which the ex-voto could be divided in portions and shared. Comparing the Italian and Mexican traditions with each other and to ex-votos in durable metals, wood, and wax from the same areas, Fane examines why some offerings are made to be consumed while others similar or even identical in subject and style are permanently installed in the shrine or attached to the robes of the saints. Finally, she considers the case of the transplant of the celebration of the feast of St. Joseph in Sicily to the Sicilian-American community in New Orleans.

Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Graces Received: Painted and Metal Ex-votos from Italy, on view September 16, 2011, through May 25, 2012.