Antique Wood Trio of 3 Apostles, Bolivia (2035UCKE)

Description

These antique wood carvings were probably on a side altar in a Bolivian Roman Catholic church and are 3 remaining images of a complete presentation of the Twelve Apostles that have been refitted on individual handcrafted bases. Although Apostles have traditionally been portrayed on the walls or entrance doors to Catholic churches, there are no canon that associate hand gestures with specific Apostles. They can be identified by their symbols, but, as none of these is presented with a symbol, their identities are unclear. The Apostles are the 12 disciples chosen by Jesus Christ to continually attend him, receive his special teaching and training and spread the message of Christianity. According to catholicanswers.com, “Catholics use statues, paintings, and other artistic devices to recall the person or thing depicted. Just as it helps to remember one’s mother by looking at her photograph, so it helps to recall the example of the saints by looking at pictures of them. Catholics also use statues as teaching tools.”