crafted gifts

Led to Bethlehem by a star in the east, the Three Kings bring precious gifts to the Christ Child. Mary and Joseph stand on either side as a cow and donkey kneel beside the manger. This colorful box depicts the Epiphany from the Christmas story in the Gospel of Matthew. Alejandro Chávez crafts a traditional Ayacucho-style retablo, a diorama housed in a colorful wood box. The images are modeled of ceramic and painted by hand, and the box closes with a leather latch.

This mirror reflects the festive traditions of the Andes, when people wear colorful and sometimes mystical masks to celebrate their patron saint. Alejandro Chávez crafts each mask by hand of ceramic. Known as a retablo, the diorama's intricate hand-shaped figurines are housed in a colorful wood chest.

This beautiful retablo depicts a lively market stall where Andean textiles are bought and sold. In pre-Hispanic times, Inca weavings were more highly prized than gold and Peruvian textiles carry on the artistic tradition. By Julio Gallardo, the vignette shows colorful cloth hanging from ceiling and walls, shoppers, and a young artisan who puts the finishing touches on a work he has finished. The ceramic figurines are housed in a tornillo wood box, crafted and painted by hand.

This colorful retablo by Alejandro Chávez houses six scenes taken from Andean beliefs and customs. The first features local animals, followed by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The third shelf features Andean shepherds followed by the traditional Hat Dance. The fifth scene is about picking prickly pears in Ayacucho and the last scene portrays a local celebratory dance. Each ceramic figurine is crafted and painted by hand.