Fanal of the Nativity

The Virgin Mary and St. Joseph are contemplating Christ Child who is crowned with a segmented silver carved halo, exalting His emanating radiance. St. Joseph holds one of his characteristic attribute, a lily in his right hand, feature that reminds the transformation of the flowering rod he was carrying at the time of his marriage to Mary. Moreover, both are topped with a round embossed metal halo.
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.