Hand Made Religious Wood Retablo Diorama Andean Folk Art 'Cross of Lamentation'

After Christ's death on the cross, the image itself came to be venerated as one of the most important Christian symbols. Alejandro Ch√°vez shows an empty cross, graced with a portrait of Jesus. Ladders reach to beams where ofrendas (offerings) have been placed. Figures in traditional Andean dress kneel below the cross, their eyes lifted in devout prayer. Known as a retablo, this traditional diorama is housed in a colorful chest crafted of wood and painted. Ch√°vez carefully models each figure from ceramic plaster and paints them by hand; the retablo receives an antique finish.