Description:

Latin America, Mexico, ca. 19th century CE. A ceramic puppet mold depicting a gruesome skeleton with an enlarged pointy skull, the eye holes and teeth creating a menacing grimace, clearly delineated ribs on the bodice, and exaggerated hip bones. A solid rather than articulated figure would result from using this mold. Perfect for Dia de los Muertos celebrations honoring the dead as skulls and skeletons are featured in altars and appear virtually everyhere during Dia de los Muertos. The origins of this tradition may be traced back to the pre-Hispanic era when the indigenous kept skulls and skeletons as trophies and used them during ceremonial rituals. A taste for such iconography attained great popularity during the Mexican Revolution protesting the Porfirio Diaz dictatorship in the early 20th century when the Mexican artist Jose Guadalupe Posada created his iconic Calavera Catrina. Ever since, embellished skulls and skeletons - Ladies and Gentlemen of the Dead - have played a pivotal role in this holiday's traditions. Size: 8" x 2-1/2" (20.3 x 6.4 cm)

Provenance: Ex-Historia Antiques, James Caswell, Santa Monica, CA

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#110840

  • Condition: Top of skull reattached. Right leg repaired with wood fragment joining ceramic components.

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February 16, 2016 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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