The word Altarpiece derives from the Latin retabulus or retrotabule which means: What goes behind the table. Originally an altarpiece is the set of large images located behind the altar of a church. This expression of art was brought by the Spanish and dates back to the cradle of Western civilization, has its origin in Roman diptychs with portable images, made on tables that were closed one on top of the other like a book.
In Peru, it is an art cultivated in the Andes, specifically in the department of Ayacucho, where it was baptized with the name of "Cajón de San Marcos" back in the XNUMXth century.
The Ayacuchano Retablo is one of the most recognized artisan expressions and a sample of the high level and mastery that the artisans of Ayacuchanos have achieved. The Spanish custom of having portable altars and nativity scenes, known as "nativity scenes" was very well received by the Andean people. These boxes contained saints or sacred images that were used to protect homes and the travelers who carried them with them. To this day, the San Marcos is used to preside over the ritual of the herranza or feast of Santiago, and to invoke the spirits of the mountains.
The masters of this art jealously guard their secrets and take care to transmit them to their descendants and a few disciples, who, in order to master the techniques, must spend years in the workshops. The altarpiece involves a lot of fine and delicate work, one of the keys is the preparation of the pasta with which the figures are made, made from boiled potatoes and kneaded with plaster. The altarpieces are made in rectangular boxes, usually made of cedar wood. Although there is no standard norm for its dimensions, the classic altarpiece has a height of 32 cm and a width of 26 cm. Figures of about 6 centimeters are placed inside. The back is covered with thin wood and the doors are attached to the box with leather strips that act as hinges. They exhibit virgins and saints, patriotic scenes, military feats are also often represented, or they can be dedicated to illustrious people.
cooleeeeeeeeee
buenisimo