Vintage Foto Escultura (sculpted photo) portrait

Considered a Mexican folk art, this is a foto escultura, basically a sculpted photo.  These were done from the 1920s up into the 198os.  Thought to have originated in Mexico, these were available in cities along the U.S. Mexican border but also found further north in large cities with strong Mexican-American communities.  The faces in these portraits are an actual photo put on a shaped wooden base.  But all the details of clothing and any background were hand-carved and painted.  The handwork creates amazing details that make these portraits pop.  The portraits were finished with glass on the front and back, which protected the piece from wear.  You can often date the piece by the design of the wood frame and by the style of the clothing & other details.  This “Escultura” still has it’s original glass front & back.  In very good old condition with slight losses to 2 of the wooden pegs that hold the glass but, they’re still holding the glass.