Nicario Jiménez 'Día de Los Muertos'/'Day of the Dead' Folk Art Retablo from Peru - 5" H X 12.5" W

Retablos were initially carried through the mountains of Peru by Spanish priests as portable religious shrines for Catholic saints. Retablos have been adopted by indigenous people and are now adapted pieces of folk art that take the form of handpainted boxes portraying religious, historical, or everyday events.   

This example depicts a 'Día de Los Muertos'/'Day of the Dead' scene with nine intricately detailed, hand-painted dancing skeletons and musicians (esqueletos bailarines y músicos). Each of the nine painted pieces are handmade from potato and gypsum powder dough. They are displayed inside a carved wooden box/frame which has leather hinged doors and is signed in felt ink on the backside by Nicario Jiménez (b. 1957). The door to the left has a half-moon face with the one to the right having a full moon face. 

Peruvian artist Nicario Jiménez is an internationally renowned artist and comes from a family of retablo makers in Ayacucho. His work has been exhibited across the United States, including the San Francisco Craft and Folk Art Museum and the Museum of Man in San Diego. His work was selected by the Smithsonian Institution for its "Seeds of Change" exhibit and is now part of their permanent collection. 

Place of Origin: Lima, Peru     

Date of Manufacture: 1990s  

Condition: Excellent 

Wear: Consistent with age. There are slight scratches on the wooden box not from wear, but from the artist's initial design/craftsmanship. A small crack in the wood exists on the back panel. Note the piece is structurally sound, and this crack has not affected the artwork or paint. Please refer to pictures. 

Dimensions:  

Open: 12.5 in W X 5 in. H X 2.25 in. D

Closed: 6.25 in W X 5 in. H X 2.25 in. D   

Reference/Provenance: From the collection of Stephen Cohen, a noted American scholar, Russian historian and former editor of The Nation. 

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