In America, the word retablo identified movable creations formed by architectural elements that had a religious use, generally placed in the apse of the temples behind the altar. These creations received particular characteristics in the colonial period. Although in many cases they were simple structures for the placement of statues and paintings, sometimes they were profusely and ostentatiously decorated.
Another version, the retablo de cajón, is linked to popular art and the needs of colonial evangelization. There are some excellent examples of these popular art objects in the Plata Nativa collection. These come from the tradition of portable retablos used by the evangelizers during their journeys to the most distant indigenous communities.
At the same time, the portable altarpiece is closely related to triptychs, processional altars and other elements used in an itinerant manner to project worship outside churches and monasteries.
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