French Relic Uncovered in Altar Restoration

An art restorer working to expose 18th century Mexican craftsmanship on a church altar unmasked something even older and more exotic: a panel believed to have been hand-carved in France in the 1500s.

The altar at La Purisima Mission was furnished by the Civilian Conservation Corps when the mission was rebuilt in the 1930s, officials said. Its front piece was thought to be a 200-year-old Mexican gold-leaf panel.

But conservator Linda Andrews found carved oak panels that she traced to south central France. “I was excited to discover the age of it -- not 18th century but 16th century,” she said. “For American standards it’s fairly rare.”