Fanal with Christ Child reclined together to a neo-gothic missal

Christ Child flanked by two trees, one with dry fabric flowers, feathers, iced pearls as well as cloth leaves, and the other with natural twigs, all resting on a high base decorated with dried flowers, like roses and small honesty blooms, wheat ears, fruits, feathers and moss. Jesus reclined on a pedestal, wears a thin robe with metal filigree applications; a small missal can be seen on His right side.
The Museo de Artes de la Universidad de los Andes, Santiago de Chile, exhibits a group of 16 "fanales". A "fanal" is a structure that consists of a wooden base on which a bell glass or bell jar is mounted, used in Europe during the eighteenth century for scientific and decorative purposes. When transferred to Latin America it takes a totally different character: a “fanal” becomes a devotional object from the moment a religious Christian figure is placed in the inside.