Fanal with Christ Child reclined and parrot

Christ Child, garnished with a pearl necklace and bracelet, is resting on a golden surface with fringe decoration, and surrounded by different ornaments, like shiny decorative beads, along with several small birds, wheat ears, paillettes, colorful seed and cube beads placed all around. A wreath made of leaves and flower bouquets, as well as a bird swing, can also be seen hanging from its center, with a colored glass parrot.
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.