This impressive, sculptural group is a piece of great relevance and interest for the sculptural arts in the Spanish Colonies. Among the elements that confirm its importance are its evident quality and its state of preservation.
The more popular Phlippine subjects included the crucified Christ, the Virgin and Child and saints such as Saint John the Baptist. Made by Philippine or Chinese craftsmen, these figures display a stylistic interpretation of Western forms and iconography while also incorporating local cultural artistic expressions. Ivory devotional figures of this type were popular throughout the Spanish empire following the spread of Catholic missionaries in the late 16th and early 17th century.