I love retablos . They are little shrines to the Blessed Mother or saints. Sometimes they are not devotional and show things like market scenes. I had two and I was thinking that finding a third one would make the arrangement on the wall prettier. I went window shopping on the internet and found a company called Novica. This company is affiliated with National Geographic and supports artisans who make traditional art. Boy am I thrilled with this company! Look how my package came! here was even a handmade llama ornament on the ribbon. And it was wrapped like a gift with paper covered with traditional Latin American motifs! The white envelope has a note from Novica expaining the company's philosophy and a postcard from Machu Pichu signed by a Peruvian artisan.
Then I opened the package:
This retablo depicts Our Lady of Fatima . An apparition of the Blessed Mother revealed herself to three peasant children in Portugal on May 13, 1917. The Baby holds a rosary in one hand and a scapular in the other. The little booklet tells the story of Fatima and has a comment from the artisan. I'm sure I'll be shopping at Novica again. I can't think of the last time I've been so happy with a purchase.