Passion and power: The sculpture of Jesus the Nazarene in Zacatecas, México

Abstract

This study examines an exceptional sculpture made toward the end of the XVIII century found in the mining town of Zacatecas, Mexico. The life-size sculpture in question is in reality a liturgical puppet, or rather a marionette, of Jesus Christ that dramatically performs during Holy Week. The image is here studied within the larger context of medieval puppets, the Church’s liturgy, and modern psycho-social theories. The sculpture appears to continue a pre-Columbian attitude towards puppets as ixiptla or actor-impersonators. The novelty of the research is the discovery of the mechanism for making this actor “perform” during one of the most dramatic moments of the Passion.