Vintage Ayacucho Retablo Handcrafted Peruvian Altarpiece Shrine

Wow! I’ve never seen one of these Peruvian altars this large! A classic vintage Peruvian Retablo Nativity scene, a hand-painted folk art diorama shrine featuring a traditional wooden altarpiece design with folding doors decorated with vibrant blue, red and purple floral patterns. The box includes multiple levels, three exactly, typically depicting a Nativity scene on the upper level and scenes of Andean daily life or market scenes below. Way cool, carefully detailed, the intricate figures inside the altar are commonly made from a mixture of plaster potato paste, known as masa and a beautifully hand painted. Ayacucho is a city in Peru and the capital of the surrounding Ayacucho Region. The name derives from the Quechua words aya (meaning "dead" or "soul") and k'uchu (meaning "corner" or "dwelling"), generally translating to "corner of the dead" or "dwelling of the souls". Every single figure is in excellent shape, highly unusual! The details on all of the Andean costumes including the hats are magnificent and are filled with specific colors and nods to daily life. There is a nail hole on each door as it was literally nailed to a wall for safety purposes, found in Los Angeles, prone to earthquakes! I carefully pried it away from the wall with the help of a young man so as not to damage the piece. So other than those two nail holes that could be patched up, there’s no other issues!