Featured Olllllllld wooden St. Anthony statue

This statue came home from World War II Europe with a great uncle. It's 30 inches tall, about 9 at the base, and weighs 18 pounds. He is St. Anthony, holding the baby Jesus. They're both in terrible shape (poor Jesus is missing an arm), and have been inhumanely repaired! There are some traces of white paint, especially around the cloth rope at his waist. The hole in Anthony's right hand would have been for flowers.

As you may know, I rarely sell anything but antique natural history prints and my own art, so this piece is a keeper. Believe it or not, the cousins who owned it brought it up out of their basement and were about to put it on the curb and see if anybody would pick it up. Thanks to YOU PEOPLE and all my new interests on these forums... *I* picked it up!!!! I think the faces are sweet. I'm a thoroughly lapsed Catholic, but I think the old thing deserves a rescue.

Please... if it were yours, how would you clean it? Would you treat it with anything? I would love any impressions you have as far as origin or age. Can you guess what kind of wood? Muchas gracias, y'all!

Edit
Newsflash... With a flashlight up close, I can see remnants of flesh-colored paint on the faces and hands, and gold-looking paint on the Bible pages top.

 

Condition a shame but all that is experiences it has had.

 

Yes!
Thank you...

Edit - Leave it to my Great Uncle Antonio to bring THIS back instead of jewelry or porcelain. Egotist.

 

A veteran?
If so, which service, where and thank you to him!

 

Various places in Europe... Army... enlisted and I believe served for the duration... just a kid... 18-19 when he joined, shortly after Pearl Harbor, it is said. Loved America.

 

YAY!!!!!!!
I hope you have some of his 'stuff'.

 

This is it.

 

Nicely done. Apart from dusting, I wouldn't do anything to it.

 

Who has his stuff?

 

Kingsie, there is very little left... very sad... he had a kinda sad story, in fact. While he was overseas, his fiancée was killed in a car wreck. He never got over her, was said to keep her picture in his wallet always. VERY religious man. Worked as a barber for something like 40 years. Gave his money to the church. I knew him to be a quiet, humble, dependable kind man who always had a beloved faithful mutt of some kind at his feet. He died when I was around ten. Another good reason to respect and keep this old relic, right?

Edit - Like many of his generation, he was one of the most patriotic men I ever met, in a quiet way. His English was bad, and he was not strong physically, nor clever. I doubt he was particularly respected or praised in his service, or after it... I hope I'm wrong. But anyway, he saw a beauty in this country's constitution that made his eyes shine. Now I'm crying a little! How about that? Okay already, I'll take care of your raggedy old saint, Tio Antonio.

 

Absolutely!!! YAY!

 

With that backstory I'd have it dead center on top of my desk, and I'm Baptist. The statue was probably worth more to him than gold would have been. Did he have a special devotion to that saint?

 

That's a great expressive carving....and must have been difficult to return with given it's size.
I'll bet he rescued it from a bombed out church.....& I'm wondering if it may be more valuable than you think ??

 

Oh, Evelyb30, my darling... I suddenly realize you are right... he didn't have much or want much... very modest and quiet man... but two things I recall. The statue sat on his gigantic olllld television console. I RECALL that it was in better shape than now. Tragically, after he passed, his stuff made its way from New Mexico to Ohio where his closest extended family had moved. I know the statue did some time in a yard in Ohio. If they took it in for the winter, I'd be surprised. Then it disappeared until the recent events. I imagine you're right... it probably was worth more than gold to him. I'm ashamed that it took a while for that to sink in. Yes, he was named after St. Anthony... or Santo Antonio.

 

Thank you, Professor... now you have me wondering!
I'm so glad I rescued this, and so grateful to have you all looking at it!

 

Thank you for showing it......I'm no church goer...but I know a superior carving when I see one !

 

Thank you so very much. I'm so happy this is all happening. He was a great guy. He taught me how to spit tripe out into my napkin (I always hated tripe) and then sneak it to my lap and into my pockets, and then flush it later. I adored him for that.

 

Well there's sumptin you don't hear everyday !!

 

The back was never meant to be seen; I'm betting this was in an alcove or on a side altar in a church. Your uncle probably rescued it and took it home. Beat leaving it to rot.

 

Ahhhh, okay, yes, Evely! Makes sense.

Professor, have you ever had tripe? He was my hero after that.