How do I care for a wooden icon?

Keep the piece away from direct sunlight and sudden temperature shifts to protect the underlying timber and fragile gesso. Dust gently with a soft, dry brush and avoid applying liquid cleaners or polishes to historic surfaces.

Where were home altars displayed?

Families placed small altars and framed shadowboxes in private living quarters for daily prayer and domestic devotion. Larger statues often stood in domestic niches or travelled during local religious processions.

How can I tell centuries apart?

Examine the tool marks left by the carver and the way stylistic conventions align with periods like sixteenth-century Gothic or seventeenth-century Baroque. Material composition, such as the specific use of gesso and gold leaf, also points to the manufacturing era.

What is a Veils of Veronica?

It represents the miraculous cloth that bore the image of Christ's face during his walk to Calvary. Artisans depicted this subject in framed artwork and panels for contemplation of the Passion.