Early New Mexico Tinwork—Saint Nathalie
By
Arthur Scott
I bought the Saint Nathalie in a tinwork frame over 65 years ago. My mother was always looking for antiques and dragging me along. I had saved some money from sacking groceries and a paper route. We went to some tobacco-chewing old gringo’s place in an old adobe house with a front portal, a rocking chair, and a coffee can for a spittoon. I don’t remember much else so I have no real idea how old she is.
This guy had a house full of trosteros, chests, bultos and retablos. He apparently took a liking to me and I came away after a couple of visits with this tinwork, a San Isidro bulto with two oxen; a .45-.70 1865 Springfield long rifle; and a Colt .22 caliber single shot derringer. To this day, I can’t remember the man’s name.
The derringer was stolen from a wall in my home by a high-school classmate and never recovered. The Springfield, along with another rifle was traded for a Gibson, five-string, Pete Seeger Model, long-neck banjo in 1965. The bulto was traded to Rex Arrowsmith (I think) for some prehistoric Indian pottery during the 60’s also. The piece shown above has traveled with me through a couple of marriages and several states.
The REverse
