Nichos

The word nicho usually refers to a small wooden or metal shrine used in Latin American countries for adoration of a saint. Living in Texas, I have had access to discarded nichos to utilize for some of my assemblages.  Two are shown below:

Sighted in Gaza (2003) (10" x 12 3/4" x 3 3/4")

This nicho was picked up at the annual Round Top Antique Fair along with the doll shown above. They seemed to go together and were used for illustrating the final event in Samson's life when he brought down the Philistine temple by toppling its main pillars. Interestingly, archeologists have only excavated one Philistine temple so far, and its two supporting pillars were located very close together.

A Wonder in Heaven (2005) (8" x 13 1/2" x 4")

This rather crudely made nichos was used as the basis for an assemblage depicting the vision in Revelation 12 concerning a pregnant woman in heaven delivering a son which a dragon attacks. There have been several interpretations of this symbolic vision with disagreement as to whether the son represents Israel, the church, or Jesus. All of these references may have been in mind by the author.