Early 20th Century Original Retablo Box

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Early 20th Century Original Retablo Box

About the Item

Early 20th century original retablo We are proud to offer an original early 20th century retablo box filled with a colorful scene of village and farm life. Retablos are a sophisticated Peruvian Folk Art in the form of portable boxes which depict religious, historical, or everyday events that are important to the Indigenous people of the highlands. It is a tradition originated in Ayacucho. The History of the Retablo "Santero boxes" originated in Europe and came to Peru with the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century. Before bringing them to Peru, the boxes were used as portable altars by medieval travelers and pilgrims and were carried by soldiers into battle during the Crusades. In Peru, they were used by the Spanish evangelists to teach the Catholic faith to the native "infidels". They were carried into the remote regions of Peru by the muleteers who carried all the products imported into South America by the Spanish. The muleteers, traveling long and arduous journeys through the Andes, relied on the magic capacity of the boxes to protect them from mishaps on their routes. Often, they would not come across another living soul for many days and faced storms, loss of animals, sickness and the supernatural world that filled the Andes with spirits and demons. When they camped they placed them under a canvas awning with oranges and flowers and lighted candles to ask for protection during their trip. From the 17th-the 19th centuries, the Santero boxes were gradually transformed and integrated into the rural peasant religious life in a way reflecting cultural syncretism. They were used in magic ritual functions in the remote mountain regions in July and August of each year. The boxes/altars presided over the animal branding ceremony, one of the most important in the community life, because it insured the abundance and fertility of the animals. The box was placed outside on a table, where the owners of the animals would request its permission to begin the branding. Different saints were considered patrons of specific animals. For example, Saint Mark was the patron of bulls and cows; saint Luke, the patron of the puma or Andean lion. There are many areas in which the indigenous people incorporated components from the new Spanish colonialist religion into their centuries-old traditional religious rites. The knowledge to produce these boxes was passed on from one generation to the next in families dedicated to creating and maintaining this traditional craft. Beginning in the 1940s, the production of Santero boxes had almost completely passed into oblivion because the muleteers, who traditionally carried them from one region to another, had been replaced by 20th century roads and trucks. Dimensions in inches: H 12” x W 7” x D 3.5” Origin: Peru Period: 1920 Condition: Aged through wear and tear is present across this item as you can see, patination across the wooden surface is present with light fading in sections and aged cracks across the paint and reverse wooden box. Rust and chipped paint across the hinge sections is also present, structurally secure and not cracked or broken.

Dimensions:
Height: 12 in (30.48 cm)Diameter: 3.5 in (8.89 cm)Length: 12 in (30.48 cm)
Style:
Folk Art (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Wood,Hand-Crafted
Place of Origin:
Puerto Rico
Period:
1920-1929
Date of Manufacture:
1920
Condition:
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU4304216180302