Viceregal School. Peru. 18th century. 'Pietà' Huamanga stone sculpture with traces of polychromy. 11 x 12,5 x 2 cm.    Huamanga stone is a type of white alabaster with delicate transparencies, and sculptures made from it are named after their place of origin, Huamanga, which is in the Ayacucho region currently The Province of Huamanga is one of the eleven provinces that make up the department of Ayacucho, Peru. It is famous for its quarry of the white stone known as 'Huamanga stone', which has been used since ancient times and especially during the 17th and 18th centuries to make sculptures of great quality. During the 18th century, the sculpture workshops of Huamanga reached their maximum splendour, especially in the context of viceregal art. The sculptors of the time, influenced by the Baroque style, created artworks that reflect both the indigenous tradition and the European influences brought by Navarrese and Aragonese artists. Many of these sculptures were used in churches and convents, adorning altars and chapels.   Religious figures, such as saints and virgins, were the most recurrent subjects and are characterised by having detailed work on their clothing and facial expressions. The sculptors' skill in working Huamanga stone allowed them to achieve a high level of detail and realism using decorative resources such as polychrome, gold leaf, inlaid semi-precious stones and faceted crystals.   BIBLIOGRAPHY: Ríos Acuña, Sirley. Breve historiagráfica de la plástica andina. Dibujos I (2001). Luján, Flor (1987). Artesanía en piedra de Huamanga. Lima: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos,. Nuñez, Lucy. . “La piedra de Huamanga”. VV.AA. Artesanía peruana. Orígenes y evolución. Lima: Editorial Allpa.