House of faith

From the Talleres de Maximo Vicente, the iconic religious shop which produced images rivaling those of the best artisans in Europe, comes a rare exhibit of their best at Rustan’s.

Ambassador Bienvenido Tantoco Sr. is a proud owner of a life-size Our Lady of Guadalupe that’s made of ivory; the late jeweler Fe Panlilio had a customized image dripping in diamonds; while former First Lady Imelda Marcos either owned one or received them as gifts.

Indeed, owning a Maximo Vicente religious image — to this day — is an honor bequeathed to those of strong faith and fine taste.

Renowned santero Maximo Vicente Sr. was the founder of Talleres de Maximo Vicente, the iconic religious shop in Ermita known to produce images that could rival those made by the best artisans in Europe.

Christ the King of Talleres de Maximo Vicente is one of the images featured in an exhibit-sale slated from April 11-25 at Rustan's Makati.

Born in 1883, Maximo had no formal training in sculpture. He picked up wood carving as a hobby because he spent most of his childhood with an uncle who was a ranger in the forests of Malabon.

He got fond of making crucifixes. And so when he showed a sample of his craft to their parish priest, the latter was so impressed that he offered to buy his obra. Needless to say, he got repeat orders from the same priest and by word of mouth, orders started pouring in from people he hardly knew.

In 1908, Maximo Sr. went to Manila and set up Talleres de Maximo Vicente in their home on R. Hidalgo St. in Quiapo, Manila.

Our Lady of Remedios

“I still remember that house to this day. That’s where my siblings and I grew up,” shared Regina “Renee” Vicente-Francisco, granddaughter of Maximo Sr. and the third generation family member who’s now in charge of the family business.

Renee is the daughter of the late Maximo Vicente Jr. and Soledad Hernandez-Vicente, heirs of the master craftsman himself.

According to Renee, the shop was a beehive of activities. She would watch his father Maximo Jr. and the other craftsmen chiseling and carving wood almost round the clock to meet job orders.

Crucifix

“The most popular wood used that time was baticulin,” shared Renee. “But we also used ivory. At that time, there was no ban yet on the use of ivory.”

“When my grandfather died in 1964, my parents took over. My dad was an architect. So aside from helping my grandfather in carving statues, he was also asked to design and build altars and churches,” shared Renee while browsing through articles written about her grandfather and parents.

Her mom, Sol, on the other hand, was a graduate of Home Economics at the University of Sto. Tomas.

Sleeping Sto. Niño

“My mom not only took charge of managing the shop. She also embroidered the vestments of the santoses and trained the bordaderas how to embroider. It was also my mom’s decision to open shop in Ermita to better serve our clients,” added Renee.

Every piece of work that came out of the Talleres was a work of art — perfect in artistry and workmanship.

“It took anywhere from three to 12 months to complete a commissioned work,” Renee said.

Sto. Niño de Praga

A commissioned statue doesn’t come cheap. I guess that’s also the reason why it’s not business as usual for Talleres.

“There are lots of santoses made out of fiberglass, resin or plaster that are cheaper and more affordable,” noted Renee.

And since Maximo Vicente’s statues were so well made, they outlive the original owners. Ergo, they don’t get repeat orders.

Madonna and Child bas relief

When asked if she gets inquiries from young clients, Renee hastily replied: “They just call us to have their inherited statues cleaned, repaired or restored. Some millennials just don’t have space — in their condos — for these images.”

Yes, even if they sparked joy.

Letting go

When Renee’s mom, Sol, was semi-retired, the Vicentes decided to close their shop in Ermita, Manila.

“The remaining santoses were then stored in a special room in my mom’s home in Alabang Hills,” related Renee. “And when she died, my brother Ed and I took charge of the business. But sadly the demand dropped.

Holy Family

Right now, she says, “We just accept commissioned works. It’s pretty hard to sustain the business, because the competition is very stiff. Besides, most of our master carvers have passed on already.”

Renee even rented a house in Alabang Hills where she and her late husband, lawyer Renato Zamora Francisco, could store the religious items.

“Just last July, my husband died. So I moved to a smaller place in BF Homes, Parañaque,” shared Renee.

Madonna and Child statues

Still reeling from the loss, Renee is faced with yet another problem: what to do and where to store the 100-plus religious statues her mom had bequeathed to her.

“It’s hard to let go of these heirloom pieces, but I know they could spark joy in the homes of their new owners. So I called Rustan’s chairman and CEO Nedy Tantoco, who’s my high school classmate in Assumption, for help,” said Renee. “Ready to give a helping hand, to showcase the statues in an exhibit-sale just in time for the Lenten season.”

And so from April 11 to 25, Rustan’s presents the religious sculptures by carvers of the now-defunct Talleres de Maximo Vicente.

Sacred Heart

The exhibit-sale features hand-carved statues of the Holy Family, Madonna and Child, Christ the King, Our Lady Queen of Peace and Pieta, among others. Highlight is the life-size statue of Our Lady of the Assumption, which was carved by the renowned santero himself, Maximo Vicente Sr., in 1908, the same year that the first shop first opened for business.

How much are you planning to sell it? I asked Renee.

Immaculate Heart of Mary

“No fixed price yet, but I’m planning to sell it for P3.9 million,” she enthused.

You can still enjoy the many works of Talleres de Maximo Vicente by visiting these churches: Santuario de San Antonio Church in Forbes Park, Makati; San Beda College in Mendiola, Manila, and Alabang; Our Lady of Mount Carmel in QC (designed, built and supervised by Renee’s dad Maximo Jr.); San Marcelino Church; the Assumption Convent in San Lorenzo Village and the Alfonso de Liguori Church in Magallanes.

Renee and cousin Meldy Merchan

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Catch the religious images of the Talleres de Maximo Vicente from April 11 to 25 on the fifth floor, Rustan’s Makati.

For inquiries, follow @RustansPH on Facebook and Instagram or visit Rustans.com.ph.