Puerto Rican Religious Medal, <i>Milagro</i>
notes: label: Description
content: This silver religious medal was used as a <i>milagro</i> (also called an <i>ex-voto</i>). Among many Hispanic Americans in Catholicism, <i>milagros</i> are votive offerings that represent the subject of a petitionary prayer, often fastened to an image or statue of the Virgin Mary or a saint in order to strengthen a petition or in gratitude for an answered prayer. The donor, Teodoro Vidal, offered this medal to the statue of a saint he purchased from Virginia Cajigas, a noted maker of religious art in Puerto Rico. The medal features the figure of a lamb bearing a cross and flag, an emblem representing Christ and part of the official seal of Puerto Rico. This symbol on the official seal demonstrates the importance of Catholicism in Puerto Rico. Its presence on a <i>milagro</i> gestures to the prevalence of this devotional practice among many Puerto Ricans.
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Ethnic
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content: Many Voices, One Nation
label: Exhibition
content: Many Voices, One Nation
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Teodoro Vidal
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1997.0097.0944.056
label: accession number
content: 1997.0097
label: catalog number
content: 1997.0097.0944.056
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Jewelry, Medal
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: silver (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: .6 cm x 3.3 cm x 5.6 cm; 1/4 in x 1 5/16 in x 2 3/16 in