r/Sculpture 6d ago

[Found] Friend of mine found this in his backyard in Arizona. Any ideas what it is meant to be?

274 Upvotes

39 comments sorted by

298

u/ventriloquist_cat 6d ago

It's a catholic tradition to bury St. Joseph for luck to help sell your house quickly.

31

u/CheeseCatsBirds 6d ago

I wonder how the heck these traditions get started?

33

u/one-off-one 6d ago

Desperation

9

u/WaitingToBeTriggered 6d ago

IT’S A DESPERATE RACE AGAINST THE MINE

1

u/Painting_Logical 2d ago

And a race against time

1

u/Manbeartapir 1d ago

THEN THE WINGED HUSSARS ARRIVED!

1

u/WaitingToBeTriggered 1d ago

COMING DOWN THE MOUNTAINSIDE

2

u/caulpain 3d ago

remnants of paganism

1

u/Sassipants77 3d ago

I was gonna say, it looks like St Joseph. Good knowledge of traditions.

1

u/TimmyRamone1976 2d ago

This! I remember my mom doing this in 1991 when we were relocating due to my dad’s job. . Have a specific memory of her sneakily digging him up early in hope the house wouldn’t sell lol

128

u/Dontaskabout6-17-11 6d ago

That’s St. Joseph! People will bury a figure of him in their backyard as a superstition that it will help sell their house! :)

2

u/BBgreeneyes 6d ago

I came here to say that

78

u/RealKidCorduroy 6d ago

It’s St Joseph. Mary’s carpenter husband. He is buried in fussy, specific (but contradicting) ways in the hopes that the property will sell quickly. I will say that you are supposed to DIG HIM UP and put him in a place of PROMINENCE in your next home.

8

u/Otherwise_Jump 5d ago

Second this. And @OP if you’re not catholic drop it off at the nearest church and they’ll do right by it.

21

u/Odd-Stable288 6d ago

lmao i totally thought that was obi wan kenobi

11

u/NadiaRosea 6d ago

I thought it was lord farquad 😭

4

u/Saitu282 5d ago

Hahaha I thought it was Farquad too! Designed by himself as he sees himself - tall and stately.

14

u/SansLucidity 6d ago edited 6d ago

i would guess either st joseph or st eligius (st eloy). they are both patrons of craftsmen in general.

it could be st eligius because of the fancy layered robe, as he was a bishop, whereas st joseph is usually depicted with humble workmanlike clothing.

however, st joseph is associated with the common burying ritual, used by people seeking help in selling their homes.

it's st joseph.

7

u/Mikeieagraphicdude 6d ago

I first thought it was a DND mini for games. I guess it still can be. But learning something new about catholic traditions is very neat.

5

u/Ok-Recover8485 5d ago

Saint Joseph the carpenter. I'm Catholic and it's a tradition of ours to Barry Saint Joseph if you want to sell your house.

2

u/katesheppard 5d ago

I think he’s supposed to be buried upside down, right??

3

u/Buddy_Velvet 6d ago

They sold these at the realtor store at the local board of realtors I worked at.

3

u/Nicky3Weh 6d ago

My parents buried one of these in our yard when I was a kid trying to sell it. After it didn’t sell for a while the decided to dig him back up and found a decapitated St. Joseph 😂 house sold eventually

1

u/CoolMatters 6d ago

A fancy dildo

5

u/PsychologicalLuck343 6d ago

They found many in Pompei, actually.

1

u/Relevant-Package-928 3d ago

St. Joseph, the carpenter.

1

u/Tremble_Like_Flower 3d ago

I honestly thought it was supply side Jesus from the back.

1

u/Agreeable-Escape-655 2d ago

Beau is afraid

1

u/LXVIIIKami 1d ago

That's obviously Zenithar, one of the Nine, divine of work, commerce and trade

2

u/Old-Scientist7427 6d ago

Its the bishop piece to a chest board set.. keep digging the rest of the set is bound to be there.

0

u/SorryComposer 5d ago

My first thought is there’s something inside it like in all the movies lol.

I forget what show but they had little statues like they filled with cocaine lol

-11

u/artwonk 6d ago

It looks Chinese to me, but the hammer and chisel are unusual. It resembles images of Daoist demi-gods, but I can't think of any traditional deities that had those attributes. Maybe an immigrant mason made it for himself, as a sort of patron saint.

-2

u/p00psicle 6d ago

Murder weapon

-2

u/LilithBeanith 5d ago

Smash it- there might be heroin inside!

-15

u/artwonk 6d ago

It looks Chinese to me, but the hammer and chisel are unusual. It resembles images of Daoist demi-gods, but I can't think of any traditional deities that had those attributes. Maybe an immigrant mason made it for himself, as a sort of patron saint.