Philippine Standing Figure Depicting Putto or Cherub

A cherub, mid-step, kept safe under glass.

Craftsmen in the Philippines carved this standing figure of a putto, or cherub, in wood in the late 19th or early 20th century. Carved Christian figures of children and angels were commonly made for church altars and home devotion in the islands. The small figure balances on one leg, its other knee lifted, and stands on a rounded green base set on a red lotus-like form. Traces of paint and gesso remain on a pale, worn surface. It sits under a clear glass dome on a black wooden base.

Displayed as shown, it looks like a small, delicate secret.