Late 18th Century Hand Painted Altar Table

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Late 18th Century Italian and Sicilian portable Catholic altar, often termed as "portable tabernacles" used for private devotion and or … Read more Late 18th Century Italian and Sicilian portable Catholic altar, often termed as "portable tabernacles" used for private devotion and or by traveling clergy enabling sacred rituals outside traditional church settings. Altar disassembles easily into 5 pieces for ease of travel.

Pieces like this were sometimes served as a focal point for the Eucharist, sometimes holding relics or functioning as a centerpiece for the St. Joseph Altar tradition.

Featuring beautifully patinaed hand painted panels, the main panel shows the interlocking letters A and M which form a single monogram, a Marian symbol, which stands for the Latin phrase "Auspice Maria", meaning "Under the protection of Mary". The crown positioned directly above the monogram symbolizes Mary's status as the Queen of Heaven. The framing wreath decorated with fruits, leaves, and seasonal flora signifies fertility, abundance, and divine blessing, which is common in both liturgical ecclesiastical folk art and traditional marriage or dowry furniture styles. See less