Retablo Altar Item Number: 2903/3 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Portable altar containing a three-dimensional figure of Saint James. The exterior walls, back of the roof and base of the altar are painted blue. The front of the altar has an elaborate façade. In the centre of the façade, there is an archway that reveals the figure inside. The top of the arch has a scalloped edge. The dome is painted yellow with red and blue detailing. At the top of the dome, there is a pink flower with gold accents and green leaves. On either side of the archway, there is a narrow vertical wall with a column embedded in it. The shaft of the column curves inwards at its centre. It is painted yellow-white with black curved lines over top. Behind the columns, the walls are green. Above the columns, the walls are painted yellow-white. Directly above the square capitals, there are red designs painted over top the yellow-white background. The interior walls and ceiling of the altar have a pink diamond pattern painted over a yellow-white background. In the middle of each diamond, there is a yellow dot. The figure of Saint James stands atop a plinth formed by three-stacked shapes. He wears black sandals, a yellow robe, a dark blue cape and a white hat. He has a brown beard, mustache and hair. In his left hand he holds a silver-coloured sword; his right holds a staff with a black handle and two gold balls hanging from it. The back of the altar is painted yellow-white. The artist’s name, location and some numbers are written in pencil on the back. There are also two stickers with numbers and words.