DepartmentHispano

The 9/11 Altar Screen

NameAltar Screen

Maker Roberto Gonzales

Maker Ralph Sena

Date2002/05

Place madeAlbuquerque/Bosque, New Mexico, United States, North America

MediumWood (pine), acrylic paint, metal

DimensionsOverall: 85 1/8 x 49 x 16 1/2 in. (216.2175 x 124.46 x 41.91 cm)

Credit LineMuseum of International Folk Art, gift of Roberto Gonzales and Ralph Sena, A.2003.64.1V

Object numberA.2003.64.1V

Collections

Folk Art of New Mexico

DescriptionThe Altar Screen consists of a hand-carved base and top hutch. The two doors on the base have hand-adzed inset panels on the base with red, green and blue fans in each corner and a hammered silver cross in the center on unpainted wood. The trim around the door is red, the hinges and door pulls are silver colored metal. "Bullet" carvings in red, green and blue run across the edge of the top, sides and center piece between the doors. At the bottom is a hand adzed piece with a red, green and blue inverted fan in the center. On each end is a hand-carved red flower attached to an unpainted inset panel with green vines. The top has red, blue and green "bullet" carving, the sides are red and the bottom has an inverted red, green and blue fan. The inside of the base has no shelves. On top of the right section is the San Miguel Archangel bulto (A.2003.64.5) and below that another Angel (A.2003.64.7) with silver Tower (A.2003.64.12X). In the left nicho is Our Lady of Guadalupe (A.2003.64.3) with red flowers with green vines on the back panel, plus red, blue and gold drapes in the upper corners and cross-hatched decorative elements in the bottom corners. The inset retablos with black borders are: (UL) San Raphael Archangel dressed in green with red and white wings, holding a fish in his right hand and a long staff with a bag in his left. A red flower with green vines is to his right and a green tree with red curtains to his left. He stands on blue and green water; (UR) San Francisco dressed in blue, holding a Christo in his right hand and a dove in his left. Two stands are behind him: the left stand holds a pot with feathers, the right holds a skull; (LL) San Jose dressed in white with red cape, holding a hammer in his right hand, a piece of wood with holes in his left. Two small tables are behind him: the table on his right holds a cross, the table on his left holds a pitcher or mug. A red flower with green vines is on the right; (LR) Saint Theresa dressed in brown with white trim and a short cape/habit over her head and shoulders. She holds a cross in her right hand, a blue rosary in her left. A red flower with green vines is on the left. Unless otherwise noted all retablos have red drapes and brick floors against a gold background.
The top hutch part of the altar screen has two rope-carved red, blue and green pillars on the outside, two in the center. Each outside pillar has an unpainted wood cross with silver accent (A.2003.64.13X). Between the rope-carved center pillars is a red arch with a Cristo (A.2003.64.8) on top of an opening that contains the “Monstrance” (A.2003.64.10) in front of the free-standing St. Francis retablo (A.2003.64.9). Below the opening is a "Tabernacle" that contains the "Ciborium" (A.2003.64.11). The back of the tabernacle door has an unpainted rosette in the middle and unpainted fans in each corner. The door of the tabernacle has a painted rosette with a circular silver medallion with "IHS" in the center and painted fans in the corners. The hardware is silver-colored metal. On each side of the tabernacle are sections that contain two nichos and four square retablos, separated by bullet-carved facing. On top of the left section is the San Florian bulto (A.2003.64.4) in front of a carved red, blue and green fan. Below that is the Lady of Sorrows bulto (A.2003.64.2) in the left nicho with red drapes and a red flower with green vines on the back panel. In the right nicho is an Angel bulto (A.2003.64.6) with silver Tower (A.2003.64.12X) with red, blue and gold drapes on the back panel. The four inset retablos below the nichos bordered by black are: (UL) San Antonio dressed in blue with a small child in red on his left arm and three black and white feathers in his right hand. Two stands are in the background with a cross on the right one and a vase with feathers on the left one. Red drapes and brick floor are set against a yellow background; (UR) La Conquistadora dressed in blue and white with gold and white dot decoration and trim, and a gold and red crown. To her right is a gold cross, to her left is a red flower with green vines; (LL) Nuestra Senora del Rosario dressed in red with white and gold decoration, holding a small child in her left arm and a rosary in her right hand. Both figures have red and gold crowns. In the upper right is a red flower with green vines; (LR) Santo Niño de Atocha dressed in white with red cape, holding a brown basket in his right hand and a wand with red images on each end in his left. He wears a brown hat with plume and is seated in a chair.