Catrina: Purple Dress with Butterflies

"La Catrina", created by the Mexican cartoonist José Guadalupe Posada in 1912 and later popularized by Diego Rivera, was intended to make fun of women who achieved a high social status who left their customs to try to dress and behave in the European way. Today, "La Catrina", has become an icon of Día de Los Muertos, (Day of the Dead). She has become a prominent icon of Mexican culture and the ties that this culture has with death. Contemporary artists have taken this idea and expanded it to include other symbology such as swarms of butterflies, large fantastical birds, or the likeliness of Frida Kahlo.

7", Clay handmade in Capula, Michoacán, Mx.