Peruvian Retablos Project - Part 2 Box

Peruvian retablos are brightly decorated portable wooden boxes containing clay figures that depict scenes of religious, historic, or everyday events. The Spanish word “retablo” translates to mean “altarpiece” or “behind the alter”. Originally, these were crafted in Spain during the Crusades as a means for Christian soldiers to carry portable altars with them when they were far from home. The scenes were of a religious nature. As time went by, the Peruvian’s used retablos to showcase historic events and everyday life in the Andes as well. Today, Peruvian retablos are created by the indigenous people of Peru and Bolivi. and sold in markets around the world. Follow our directions to create your own Peruvian Retablos.

There are two parts to this project, the clay figures and the box. Check out Peruvian Retablos Project – Part 1 Clay Figures for the figures tutorial.

Materials for Peruvian Retablos Box

shoe box
acrylic paints
paint brushes
pencil and paper (optional)
masking tape (is using a detachable lid box)
scissors or X-Acto knife (if using a detachable lid box)
fine grade sand paper (optional)

Before you begin, check out Peruvian retablos in books or on the internet for inspiration.

If your shoe box has a glossy coating, use the sandpaper to go over the surface to remove the glossy coating.

If you are using a box with a detachable lid, you will want to attach the lid to the box. Begin by finding the center of the lid. Mark the center. Using a pair of scissors or X-Acto knife, cut the lid into two pieces.

To attach the lid to the box. Put the two pieces of the lid back on the box. Using masking tape, tape the lid to the box on either side. Make sure to use masking tape. Acrylic paint will stick to it. If you use cellophane or plastic tape, the paint will not stick. If the edges you cut are flimsy, reinforce with masking tape, too.

Place your clay pieces inside your box. This will help you design your background inside the box. If you want, you can draw a design on paper or you can draw a landscape freehand on the box.