Walk into Peru’s handicraft shop and face a Peruvian dollhouse full of walls. Do you love it?
When the small door of the miniature living room is opened, there is a 2.5D three-dimensional structure inside and a vivid miniature scene. Each box has its own theme. So what is this kind of box? Why do Peruvians love it so much?
What is Retablos?
The word Retablo comes from the Latin Retro-tabulum, which means behind the table and refers to the fresco decoration on the church wall. Of course, for people nowadays, Restablos refers to a small wooden box decorated with a flower-shaped pattern on the outside and a three-dimensional scene on the inside. Not only tourists like to buy it as a souvenir, but also Peruvians own it in every household.
The characters and animals in the dolls house and furniture were originally said to be made with Peruvian specialty mashed potatoes. The craftsmen pinched their shapes to be very characteristic and supplemented with the exaggerated skills of coloring and painting, which is Peruvian style. However, they are all made with modern materials such as plaster now.
As for the shell of the furnished dollhouse, it is not simple. It is usually made of cedarwood, there are also creative boxes based on different themes. The small dolls house door furniture is generally covered with gorgeous colorful floral decorations.
Hundred Years Doll House
Although the altar box is similar in form to the white wood dollhouse that has been popular in recent years, it has a history of more than 500 years in Peru, and its use and content have been very different since its evolution.
The earliest Retablos was a portable alternative to worship when there was no church nearby. Retablos was used as a small altar. After arriving in South America, this kind of box depicting the scene of Jesus’ birth naturally became an important prop to preach to the local aborigines. By this time, the altar box became a veritable condensed chapel, and the content was the same as the real church layout.
One world in one house
When people started pack their lives into boxes, these miniature worlds became more interesting. The characters are no longer gods, it can also be farmers who cut corn or children who play panpipes. However, more dolls furniture sets are people singing and dancing inside. Peru is famous for its strong festive atmosphere. Everyone in the singing and dancing parade is full of smiles, and the concord miniatures are the freeze-frame of this moment and represent people’s good expectations for life.
A small furnished dollhouse carries the traditional culture and characteristics of a nation. Have you been attracted by this interesting handmade dollhouse furniture? If you are interested, please contact us to provide you with customized services to make doll houses.
Post time: Jul-21-2021