colorful hat

Taking advantage of the natural shape of bamboo root, Ira S. transforms it into a delightful duckling. The head is carved from teak and the cheerful duck is painted by hand. He wears a birthday cake hat fashioned from colorful felt.

Wearing a colorful suit and hat with flowers, this catrín sculpture is dapper. Mexican artisan Juana Ponce creates the ceramic sculpture, painted by hand in the style of Talavera handicrafts. The image of the catrin has strong historical roots in Mexico, originally used as a critique of upper class society.

Holding his harp tenderly, a man strums tunes from his beloved Andean highlands. He wears a bright chullo hat and colorful cloak in a fascinating sculpture by John Barrow. "It's part of my 'Folklore' series that is inspired by this beautiful country and its regional traditions," says Barrow with admiration. He makes the sculpture with hand-carved segments of cedar, mahogany and ishpingo woods, which he dyes with natural pigments.

This colorful retablo by Alejandro Chávez houses six scenes taken from Andean beliefs and customs. The first features local animals, followed by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The third shelf features Andean shepherds followed by the traditional Hat Dance. The fifth scene is about picking prickly pears in Ayacucho and the last scene portrays a local celebratory dance. Each ceramic figurine is crafted and painted by hand.

Turned out in her Sunday finest including picture hat and parasol, this catrina from Luis Morales will add color and culture to any place she is displayed. Formed by hand from clay, her ostentatious ensemble is carefully painted in aqua, blue, purple and silver hues. The elegant figure is based on a satirical etching created by Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada around 1910-1913. With his etching, Posada poked fun at those Mexican natives who tried to emulate the fashion and habits of the European aristocracy. Today, la Catrina has become the instantly recognizable icon of Día de los Muertos (Mexico's Day of the Dead).