The Decoration of Oaxaca’s Pipe Organs

(Follow the link to each organ for additional information and photos)

Oaxaca organs are distinguished in Mexico by their exuberant decoration.

The colorful painted cases and façade pipes of many 18th-century instruments continue to captivate organ lovers worldwide. Some of these organs could stand as works of art in their own right without ever emitting a sound. 

HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY INFLUENCED ORGAN DECORATION

At the time of the Conquest, the present-day state of Oaxaca encompassed some of the most advanced civilizations in Mesoamerica, as well as diverse ecological zones. 

The sophisticated artistic inheritance from the pre-Columbian forbearers and the splendor of the natural surroundings with profuse and brilliantly colored flora and fauna must have been absorbed into the native psyche. In addition, Oaxaca’s mountainous terrain kept the communities isolated, indigenous, and less acculturated than the rest of New Spain, and native traditions were never completely suppressed.

The Dominican missionaries seemed to have encouraged the native desire to decorate cherished objects, including organs.

The more austere Franciscans influenced organ building in the Mexico City/Puebla area. These organ cases, particularly those of small and medium dimensions, were well-designed, but with rare exceptions, were not colorfully painted like their Oaxaca counterparts. The “indigenous baroque” style applied to Oaxaca church art includes not only exuberant organ decoration, but also ornate altarpieces and interior church painting. 

Organ building shops were firmly established in Oaxaca by the 18th century and would have included talented native artisans.

Artisans and artists were anonymous, so their identity as indigenous or European will probably never be known. In an established organ building shop, specialized organ builders produced the mechanical components. Skilled carpenters built the case; carvers produced the pipe shades, border decoration, and medallions, lambrequins, and other design elements for the façade; gilders applied the gold leaf to the carvings and cornices; painters produced the angel musicians, decorative borders and backgrounds, pipe decoration, and/or rustic religious figures. But artists, whether criollo (Spaniards born in Mexico) or native, painted the finest images of saints, seen on organs such as Tamazulapan and Zautla. All of these artisans, except the organbuilders, could have participated in the production of an altarpiece (retablo), but only the organbuilder could create an altarpiece that could sing.

TWO ERAS OF ORGAN CONSTRUCTION AND DECORATION: BAROQUE AND NEOCLASSIC

BAROQUE DESIGN ELEMENTS ca. 1700 - 1800

The rounded protuberances on the sides of the lower cases of stationary organs are known as “hips.” 

This feature distinguishes them from all other Mexican organs and encompasses the entire time span (1700 – 1884) of the extant Oaxaca collection. Hips already existed on the early organs and must have originated earlier. When and why this trait emerged is a mystery. They were a decorative rather than a structural feature that softened the overall angular contours of the organ case, but also made the organ look more impressive and distinctive.

Hips on the organ Santa María Tiltepec (1703)

Hips on La Basílica de La Soledad (1719)

Scrolled, swirling carvings adorn the upper case, including the pipe shades, the edges, and the crest.

Santiago Teotongo (ca. 1750)

Segmented cornices form the profile of the upper case (broke=baroque).

Round or oval medallions appear in rows or symmetrical pairs. 

The lower cases of the monumental organs in La Basílica de la Soledad and Santo Domingo Yanhuitlán were profusely decorated with unusual non-religious imagery.  

The decorative filler balanced the richly carved and gilded upper cases. However, the designs seem to be purely decorative and not symbolic. Religious motifs never appear on lower cases, probably because it was a work area with the keyboard and register pulls. The exalted area, the music produced by the pipes, was higher up. 

Two strange, fanciful figures in mirror image adorn the organ of La Soledad. They wear short skirts, and their limbs morph into swirling volutes. Two doves are incorporated into the design on each side. In Yanhuitlán, two birds in profile blend similarly into abstract volutes. The design style is so similar in the two organs, that the same artist may have painted both cases. 

The lower case of the Cathedral organ (1712) may also have been whimsically decorated, but unfortunately no trace of the original remains. Birds are integrated into the gilded upper case carvings and may have figured in the decoration of the lower case.   

The lower cases of large organs, situated in high choir lofts, were not decorated.

They were not visible from the church because of the angle of the floor when looking upward, the organ’s sideways position, and the protective balustrade. Therefore, it made no sense to invest in adorning a lower case. The upper case would have been the focus; the pipes arranged in their towers and the carvings surrounding them would have been visible, no matter how high the loft. The hips on the lower case represented a construction tradition rather than a decorative detail. If the roof of the loft was too low, the organ was situated in a side tribune closer to the floor and was thus more visible. 

Santiago Teotongo (ca. 1750)

RELIGIOUS IMAGERY ON THE UPPER CASE OF THE YANHUITLÁN ORGAN

The monumental Yanhuitlán organ is unique in having Dominican symbols painted on the case. 

These include the black and white cross, the dog (domini canis) bearing a torch, and the eight-pointed star. The lower case decoration shows stylized birds merging into swirls, similar to the fanciful human forms on the La Soledad organ. The painting seems likewise to have balanced the opulent upper case; the bird motif seems purely decorative. A serene statue of Saint John the Baptist stands on top of the central tower, while the agonized face of a Moor, hidden deep within the carvings at its base, is being crushed by the weight of the enormous organ pipes above. 

RELIGIOUS IMAGERY ON MEDIUM SIZED 4´ STATIONARY ORGANS

The cases of these smaller organs were brightly painted, often with religious imagery.

Decorated rather than undecorated organs would have been more cherished in their churches. In general, the smaller the organ, the more charming the decoration. The imagery was didactic and realistic, not fanciful. In contrast, large 8´ organs were meant to be imposing. They were not personalized with religious figures, except for statues high above on the towers, nor did they have cheerful accessory registers. 

The organ in San Dionisio Ocotepec, originally in Santa María Tlacolula, was the first to be decorated with religious figures.

Depicted on the sides are images of sainted church scholars. The doors of the organ, detached, framed, and hanging in the sacristry, show the two religious figures associated with music: King David playing a harp and Saint Cecilia playing the organ as it once may have appeared. The paintings were retouched in the 20th century. 

The organ in San Jerónimo Tlacochahuaya is the best-known and most appreciated organ in Oaxaca. 

Its painted decoration combines beautifully with the interior of the church. The case is painted with billowing floral designs on the façade, angel musicians on the sides, and Saint Jerome on the crest.

RELIGIOUS IMAGERY ON MEDIUM SIZED 4´ TABLE ORGANS

The Zautla organ case is decorated on all sides with saints and their attributes.

 It may be read like a book with six rectangular pages. Saints Peter and Andrew are depicted on the sides, and the archangels Saint Michael, Raphael, Uriel, and Gabriel on the doors. 

The original decoration of the case in San Pedro Quiatoni was painted over in the late 19th century. 

The organ is identical in structure to the organs in San Andrés Zautla and San Pedro Yucuxaco. The helmets and a bit of the faces of Zautla-like archangels peek out from under grotesque faces on the doors. 

The organ in the remote community of Santiago Guevea de Humboldt is fully decorated overall in baroque style.

Angel musicians are painted on the sides, on the right playing a bassoon and on the left a cornet; both images are unfortunately deteriorated. The pipes (see below) are exuberantly yet rustically decorated. 

RELIGIOUS IMAGERY ON 2´ TABLE ORGANS

Oaxaca has an incomparable collection of six 2´ organs located in the Mixteca Alta region; most are decorated with religious imagery. 

They seem to have been modeled on the first table organs imported from Spain during the 16th century. Very few of these instruments still exist in Europe, whereas they proved to be most useful in New Spain as evangelizing aids. The first organ in Oaxaca documented in Oaxaca in 1544 may have been a table organ like these. It certainly would have been decorated, but it is impossible to imagine how.

Smaller decorated organs were originally positioned on the church floor.

They were usually painted with religious images and seem to have had a didactic purpose. These churches often lacked a choir loft. However, once one was built, the organs were moved up and were rarely seen up close afterwards, except by the organist and other musicians. By the 18th century, most of the small organs were in fixed positions; their fine decoration indicated that they were not intended to be carried around outside. 

Two organs in the group are dated 1724 and 1730, and the others were presumably built around the same time.

They were all painted, usually with religious figures on as many as seven rectangular surfaces (if the back was included), almost like the pages of a story book for the illiterate natives. Saints and archangels are represented with their attributes and angel musicians with their instruments (bassoon, viola da gamba, cornet, viol, lute, harp). The filler motifs--swirling foliage, flowers, repeated border designs--are cheerful. All of these small organs had drum and bird accessory registers.

FAÇADE PIPES DECORATED WITH FACES AND FLOWERS

Grotesque faces (mascarones) adorn the façade pipes of 18th-century organs.

They sing through the mouth of the pipe. Their fierce expressions contrast with the serene images of the saints and angel musicians painted on the case or standing on the towers. Such decoration had been prevalent throughout Europe before the 16th-century but had gone out of style. The tradition persisted somewhat longer in Spain and was thus exported to the New World. Besides the decorated pipes indicated below, evidence exists for others from the Cathedral and Tejupan organs. 

Organ pipes from other areas of Mexico also show grotesque faces. However, these may be the only decoration on the pipe, or the pipes may be minimally adorned with stenciled motifs or other modest designs. In Oaxaca, the entire length of the pipe was painted with multicolored flowers, an opportunity to decorate that it seems local artisans could not resist. They range from fine (Tlacolula) to rustic (Guevea), depending on the wealth, size, and location of the community.  

Santiago Lachiguiri (from an earlier organ)

Santiago Chazumba The pipes were made and decorated in Puebla.

Basílica de La Soledad (1719) The decorative painting was covered with enamel and later white sealer in the 20th century.

The trumpeter angels, which once stood on the base of each of the five towers of the Teotongo organ, are included in the decorated pipe section because they were not just silent statues. A pipe from the clarin register ran through each body, allowing the statues, the archangel Saint Michael and four angels, to sing from the trumpets (missing) attached to their O-shaped mouths. Angels and other religious statues perched on monumental organs have been documented, but they were purely visual. Four angels once stood on the lateral towers of La Soledad with Saint Michael in the center; later carved decoration filled the empty spaces. 

Faces were painted on organ pipes in Puebla and Tlaxcala, but the body of the pipe was not decorated.

Basílica de Ocotlán, Tlaxcala

San Martin Texmelucan, Puebla

CURIOUS FAÇADE CARVINGS ON OAXACA ORGANS

Faces in profile with European features jut out from the sides of the Tiltepec organ case. 

The central tower of the organ in San Pedro Mártir Yucuxaco shows faces with indigenous features in profile.

Round medallions above the three main towers of the organ in San Pedro Ozumacín organ encircle images of building tools: a compass in the center and squaring devices on either side.

The carved face at the top of the central tower in San Matías Jalatlaco could represent the organ builder Pedro Nibra.

San Pedro Ozumacín (1780 – 1800)

CONTRASTING ORGANS OF THE BAROQUE ERA

The organs in San Mateo Yucucui and Santiago Teotongo organs have similar profiles, but they look very different.

One case was left as natural wood and the other was profusely decorated. We can assume that the Yucucuí organ was intended to be painted and gilded in baroque style to match the splendid altarpieces in the church. However, the money must have run out after the considerable cost of the construction, and the project was never completed, a common occurrence. Some organs were “finished” years or centuries later, and some never were. Note the undecorated lower cases.

Santiago Teotongo 
(ca.1750)

The 4´ organ in Santa María Peñoles is the tallest table organ in Oaxaca.

It measures 3.20 m (10.5 feet) from the floor. The quadrants on the front doors were painted with musicians, but only one playing a lute or a guitar is visible, and the others barely so. The decoration seemed to be inspired by angel musicians, but there is no indication that these musicians were angels. The inside was decorated with rustic floral designs while the pipes were still in the organ.

The 2´ organ in Santa María Tlacolula is the smallest and one of the oldest organs in Oaxaca.

It measures 1.92 m (6.3 feet) from the floor, not including the crest. It has just two registers and was built specifically for the small choir loft of the baroque chapel adjoining the church. The painting on the front doors and inside one of them was deliberately scraped off, indicating that there must have been religious figures that were politically inconvenient, probably during the Reform Period or the Revolution The incorporation of fruit along with flowers on the sides stylistically indicates a possible earlier construction date, ca. 1700. 

The cases of three table organs not built in Oaxaca were decorated with rectangular relief panels.

The contrast with the two-dimensional painted decoration of Oaxaca-built organs is remarkable. The Soyaltepec and Tequixtepec organs closely resemble table organs in Tlaxcala, each with 42 keys; Oaxaca table organs always had 45. They may have been bought from other communities; they would not have been commissioned in this form. The elegant little Sor Juana Inés organ from the former convent of San Jerónimo, Mexico City, shows similar relief panels on the case and also has 42 notes. It is included as a prototype since it may date from the late 17th century. 

Sor Juan Inés organ

Even the most monumental Oaxaca organs were modest in comparison with the opulent organs in the urban centers to the north.

Organs with richly carved and gilded façades are seen throughout Europe and in wealthy mining towns in the Bajío central area of Mexico. Two examples, the organs in Santa Prisca, Taxco, and Santa Rosa, Querétaro proclaimed the wealth and power of their donors by favoring profuse sculptural ornamentation, extravagant gilding, and statues on the towers.

Santa Rosa, Querétaro (1752)

Santa Prisca, Taxco, Guerrero (ca. 1760) 

THE TRANSITION FROM BAROQUE TO NEOCLASSICAL

The organs in Santa María Tlacolula and San Andrés Sinaxtla were built in the same year and have nearly identical profiles. 

The 8´ Tlacolula organ is an anachronism since its upper case and façade pipes are exuberantly baroque when organ and church decoration had already begun to shift toward the neoclassical. The tall 4´ Sinaxtla organ is austere by comparison. Boldly inscribed across the façade are the names of the donor and his wife, the cost of the organ, and the date of construction (similar information is found painted on the façade medallions in Tejupan). The Tlacolula construction was financed by the community, whose investment was manifested by the organ’s luxurious decoration. The Sinaxtla construction was financed by an individual whose investment was proclaimed by personal information inscribed on the organ’s façade.

The last two 4´ table organs represent the contrasting baroque and neoclassical styles.

The Huayapam organ reveals an unusual religious symbol above the central tower: the vessel and sprinkler of holy water (hyssop and asperium). The organ seems to have been unpainted until the 20th century, when it was painted a cheerful red (vestiges are still visible). The color darkened after it was varnished. The blue table organ in San Miguel del Valle, also painted after its original construction, exhibits neoclassic fluted columns and carved lambrequins on the façade. 

San Miguel del Valle 
(ca. 1800)

NEO-CLASSICAL ORGAN DECORATION (1792 – 1884)

Although the mechanical aspect of Oaxaca organs changed little over two centuries, the visual aspect changed dramatically. 

By the late 18th century, the aesthetic pendulum had swung from the vibrant baroque to the subdued neoclassic, from excitement to discretion. Dominican influence had waned and eventually disappeared with the secularization of the parishes, and a more standardized style, with some influence from Puebla organ building, replaced the idiosyncratic Oaxaca tradition. The extroverted baroque sound with its lively trumpets may have been regarded as a distraction, an embarrassment, or even a sacrilege, and various horizontal (clarines) and/or interior (trompeta real) trumpet registers were canceled as of the late 19th century. The transition between the two periods was gradual and fluid, with exceptions in each category. However, after 1800, the neoclassical style was firmly entrenched. Its influence was pervasive in organ decoration, altarpieces, and interior painting in the churches, as well as in religious, institutional, and domestic architecture. 

The transitional organs in Santiago Matatlán and Santiago Comaltepec date from around 1800 on the cusp of the neo-classic period.

The Matatlán organ combines neoclassic fluted columns and baroque segmented cornices without denticles with an otherwise neo-classic case. The Comaltepec organ shows baroque cornises and rounded openwork carved decoration, and a cross on the crest.

NEOCLASSICAL ORGAN CASE DESIGN ELEMENTS

• Organ cases were unpainted, painted in quiet tones, or with discreet faux wood patterns. 
• The pipes were undecorated.  
• Denticles, small wooden blocks, were lined up under smooth rather than segmented cornices. 
• Openwork carvings with foliage motifs, were pointed and jagged rather than scrolled and rounded.
• The upper case was often decorated with small carved urns, cascades of tassels, and drapery.
• Religious representations were absent or discreet, such as a cross or the initials of the Virgin Mary surrounded by an aureola in the crest. 
• The carved lambrequin design was a standard decoration on lower cases until around 1850. The term is related to hanging drapery. It is interesting that the lower cases of neo-classic organs were decorated with this modest image while baroque stationary organs were left plain.

Lambrequins under windows in downtown Oaxaca.

CONTRASTING ORGANS OF THE NEOCLASSICAL ERA

The organs in Santa María Reoloteca Tehuantepec and San Matías Jalatlaco, almost identical in construction, are differentiated by their case finishing.

They were built around the same time by members of two prominent organbuilding families, the Reoloteca Tehuantepec organ by José Mariano (Martínez) Bonavides and the Jalatlaco organ by Pedro Nibra. The families apparently got along well and collaborated. The Jalatlaco organ, recently restored, was painted 14 years after its construction in 1880. The Reoloteca organ was never painted and is unfortunately deteriorated.

Two of the last organs in Oaxaca, one built in Oaxaca and the other in Puebla, highlight the different organ building traditions.

The unusual 8´ organ in San Juan Bautista Coixtlahuaca built by José Cano pushes the boundaries of neoclassicism with capricious carvings and faux wood grain painting embellishing the top, sides, and façade of the case. The influence of Puebla organ building is evident in the curved upper profile between the towers and the latticed side panels. 

The 4´ organ in Santiago Tamazola organ, built by Gregorio Miguel Castro, typifies the Castro organs made for Oaxaca communities close to the state border. The upper case design and carved pipe shades are similar in both instruments, but there the similarities end. The lower case is embellished with relief panels, and, like all Puebla-built organs, the sides are straight. 

ORGAN REDECORATION REFLECTS CHANGING TASTE

The decorative carvings of the organ in San Pedro y San Pablo Teposcolula were gilded in 2010.

The dimensions and profile of the organ in Teposcolula resemble those of Yanhuitlán but on a more modest scale. The case seems to have been left with a natural finish until the late 19th/early 20th century when it was painted white, similar to the organ in Tlaxiaco, with light green touches. The organ had a graceful look with its lacey pipe shades and the shell symbol of Santiago on the bases of the towers and the crest. In 2010 an architect decided to gild the decorative carvings to make the organ look more impressive. Instead, it ended up looking top-heavy. No physical or archival evidence of original gilding existed to legitimize the intervention, so it can only be considered a personal interior decorating project.

The organ in the Basilica de La Soledad was painted over during the 1970s by order of the priest.

The opulently decorated yet deteriorated case and carvings were repainted in muted green and brown tones, and the painted façade pipes were covered with silver enamel. The mechanics of the organ were also modified: a pedal board was installed and the trumpet ranks were eliminated. During the 1998 restoration, the original case painting was recovered, although not surprisingly, the colors had faded. The façade pipes were painted over yet again with a temporary white sealer, visually jarring on this magnificent instrument, in anticipation of a complete restoration of the original decoration. Unfortunately, this expensive project never materialized.

The appearance of these two organs was modified according to the personal visions of a priest and an architect.

In La Soledad, the aesthetic pendulum swung from baroque (1719) to neo-classic (1970s) and back again (1998). In Teposcolula, it swung from basic baroque (1750s) to basic neo-classic (1880s) to extravagant baroque (2010). However, despite the current appreciation for sumptuous baroque art, the overall neoclassic remodeling that swept Oaxaca churches in the late 19th/early 20th century can never be reversed since most of the original baroque art works, organs, and altarpieces, no longer exist.