day of the dead figures

Mexico's Day of the Dead festivities are unlike any other country's, but skulls are part of the national shared imagery and are a favorite subject for artisans all year. After this hand carved copal wood skull from Jesus and Roxana Hernandez of the Mexican state of Oaxaca is covered in navy blue paint with tiny sky blue dots, it is further decorated on the tops and sides with circles containing geometric figures and curving lines. Yellow, black, green, purple, and pink tones are utilized to hand paint the fanciful designs. Around the blackened eye sockets are outlines in yellow and red; the nasal cavity is delineated in purple. Two straight rows of white teeth give the skull a sober expression.

A swirling star design atop its head distinguishes this hand-painted alebrije owl from Oaxacan artisans Jesus and Roxana Hernandez. "We're an artisan family and we strive to improve our skills day by day....So we take on the challenge of creating innovative designs," states Jesus. The whimsical figurine is carved by hand from copal wood.

The alebrije tradition started with Mexico City papier mache artisan Pedro Linares (1906-1992). When he was 30, he fell into a coma due to serious illness. While he was unconscious, he dreamed he was caught between the land of the living and the dead; the place looked like a forest and was populated with creatures with body parts belonging to different animals. The beings repeatedly uttered the word alebrije. Upon recovering, Linares recreated these figures in bright colors using papier mache techniques and called them alebrijes. His work became famous and was one of the main influences of artisans in the state of Oaxaca who began crafting alebrijes of their own using traditional wood carving methods.

The underworld dresses itself with a romantic and passionate aura, the same that surrounds this ceramic sculpture by master artisan Jorge Escamilla. Inspired by love, Jorge works with classic techniques to create this wondrous piece, depicting a couple of Catrines—famous Day of the Dead icons—in a loving stare. With one figure wearing a classic suit and the other a traditional dress, the hand-painted pieces are joined on a heart-shaped base.

The underworld dresses itself with a romantic and musical aura, the same that surrounds this ceramic sculpture by master artisan Jorge Escamilla. Inspired by tradition and love, Jorge works with classic techniques to create this sublime piece, depicting a couple of Catrines—famous Day of the Dead icons—in a passionate serenade. With one figure wearing a mariachi suit and the other a traditional dress, the hand-painted pieces are joined on a heart-shaped base.

Life imitates art, as is evident in this terrific sculpture from Mexico's Jorge Escamilla. The ceramic and wire catrin figure is clad in a work apron as he crafts his own catrina from clay. Escamilla pays tribute to José Guadalupe Posada with his delightful statuette.
The original "La Calavera Catrina" was a zinc etching created by the artist José Guadalupe Posada in Mexico around 1910. Posada created the character, a female skeleton with an elegant hat, as a satirical portrait to lampoon Mexican natives who aspired to European style and denied their own heritage. The catrina has since become an emblem of Mexico's Day of the Dead celebration and a popular folk art subject.

Day of the Dead celebrations are very popular in Mexico and Catrinas are a big part of it with their colorful, yet skeletal female figures. Catrinas' origins date back to satirical vignettes from 1910 and now the Orozco Family artisans use them as inspiration for this statuette painted and crafted by hand with recycled cardboard in papier mache style, so you can have a little of this picturesque Mexican tradition at home.

Catrinas are skeletal, but very colorful female figures popular in the Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico, whose origin dates back to the satirical vignettes mocking the country's upper class made by Jose Guadalupe Posada in 1910. Artisans from the Orozco Family handcraft this Catrina statuette with recycled cardboard in papier mache style and paint it by hand so you can have a little of this picturesque Mexican tradition at home.