Mexican school; 19th century."Purisima".Carving in polychrome wood and elephant ivory.Damaged.Enclosed certificate issued by the Spanish Federation of Antique Dealers.Measurements: 43 x 24 x 16 cm.Round sculpture in carved and polychromed wood and ivory, representing the Virgin as the Purest, full body, on a pedestal formed by a big blue orb, on which the serpent with the apple in its mouth is placed, representing sin. The Virgin is dressed in a tunic and cloak, although the decoration of the two is such that they merge visually with each other. Her hands are joined in prayer at chest level and her face is slightly tilted to one side. This image is still anchored in the Mannerist heritage due to its balanced position and its closed composition, but it also shows a strong influence of Baroque carvings, which is reflected in the broad, very chiaroscuro folds of the canvases, worked with a great deal of relief. In addition, the sculptor has taken particular care to reflect the serene and mystical happiness of Mary's face, which is magnificently achieved.Medieval Christianity passionately debated the belief that Mary had been conceived without the stain of original sin. Some universities and corporations swore to defend this privilege of the Mother of God, several centuries before the First Vatican Council defined the dogma of faith in 1854. At the end of the Middle Ages the need arose to give iconographic form to this idea, and the model of the Apocalyptic Woman of Saint John was taken, maintaining some elements and modifying others (the Apocalyptic Woman is pregnant, but not the Immaculate). The final image came to fruition in the 16th century. Following a Valencian tradition, the Jesuit Father Alberro had a vision of the Immaculate Conception and described it to the painter Juan de Juanes so that he could depict it as faithfully as possible. It is an evolved iconographic concept, sometimes associated with the theme of the Coronation of the Virgin. Mary is shown standing, dressed in a white tunic and blue cloak, her hands crossed on her chest, with the moon at her feet (in memory of Diana's chastity) and treading on the infernal serpent (symbol of her victory over Original Sin). Around his head, like a halo, he wears the twelve stars, symbolic of fullness and alluding to the twelve tribes of Israel. Most of these images are accompanied in art by the Marian symbols of the litanies and psalms, such as the mystical rose, the palm tree, the cypress, the enclosed garden, the ark of Faith, the gate of Heaven, the ivory tower, the sun and the moon, the sealed fountain, the cedar of Lebanon, the spotless mirror, the morning star, etc.