Further Media
Producer unknown to us
Sculpture La Catrina
Americas, Mexico, Michoacán, Capula
2001
Ceramic, fired, glazed in colour
Purchased by the museum from GLOBO Fair Trade Partner GmbH in 2002
MAm 8035 a, b
While the origin of ”Catrina” lies in a socially critical satire of the Mexican upper classes, in general, images of skulls and skeletons are closely associated with respect for the deceased in Mexico. The ”día de los muertos,” the Day of the Dead, is a day of remembrance for the dead and is celebrated between October 31 and November 2. It originated from the pre-Hispanic faith and customs of offerings to the dead and processions held in their memory. The Day of the Dead is to be understood as a religious syncretism with the Catholic All Souls' and All Saints' Day, dating back to the religious influence during the Spanish colonization. Since the 1940s, the symbol has been increasingly secularized, used to create a national identity, and, in the last twenty years, increasingly commercialized for tourism. In 2003, the Day of the Dead was declared a World Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. Today, ”día de los muertos” also plays an important role for the Mexican diaspora and the large Latinx and Hispanic communities in the United States. Today, feminist collectives use the skull as a symbol to commemorate the murdered and missing women* in Mexico on the ”Day of the Dead” and to demonstrate for the solution of violent crimes and against gender-specific violence.
The sculpture was purchased by the museum in 2002 through the retailer Fair Trade Partner GmbH.
Julia von Sigsfeld