La Catrina Figurines

Display of large and small Catrina figurines in shop; Posada's best known works are his calaveras (humorous images of contemporary figures depicted as skeletons, which often were accompanied by a poem), which often assume various costumes, such as the "La Calavera Catrina" (zinc engraving, 1910, translated as the Calavera of the Female Dandy or The Elegant Skull), which was meant to satirize the life of the upper classes during the reign of Porfirio Díaz. Most of his imagery was meant to make a religious or satirical point. Since his death, however, his images have become associated with the Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos, the "Day of the Dead". Many aspects of the Mexican festival have indigenous origins in an Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl; the holiday is a syncretism between Mesoamerican and Catholic beliefs. La Catrina now has iconic status as a symbol of uniquely Mexican art. Source: Wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page (accessed 7/16/2012