Accession No

Z 39829


Description

Calavera. Skull modelled in sugar paste for the Day of the Dead celebrations. A Latin cross made from black dots is visible on the forehead. Decorated with black and red pigments.


Place

Americas; North America; Mexico; Toluca


Period


Source

Starr, Frederick [collector]; Folklore Society [donor]


Department

Anth


Reference Numbers

Z 39829; 322 [Starr Coll.]


Cultural Affliation


Material

Sugar; Pigment


Local Term


Measurements

41mm


Events

Description (Physical description)
Sugar model of a skull, with cross, for the Day of the Dead.
Event Date
Author: maa


Context (Field collection)
Collected by Professor Frederick Starr in 1898.
Event Date 1898
Author: Lucie Carreau


Description (Physical description)
Starr Catalogue for no. 329: 'Candy form: Skull and cross'.
Event Date 1899
Author: Lucie Carreau


Context (Amendments / updates)
The Frederick Starr Collection of Mexican Folklore was never catalogued when it came to the museum. Cataloguing was done in 1984 when, by error, some of the items were entered in the 1984 book instead of the Z book. To try to correct this in the simplest way possible, all these numbers were grouped under a single Z number, in addition to the number already given. The remainder of the collection was then given individual Z numbers in the normal way. The collection was examined in 1984 by Dr Charlene Cerny (Director of the Museum of National Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico) and her colleague, Valentin Jacques, both experts on Mexican folk art. Her notes on the collection, together with a xerox of the original catalogue, which has full details on the uses of the various items, is on file. The collection is unusual in being well documented and of such an early date, and is a rare one outside Mexico. Not all the items listed in the original catalogue were found at the time of cataloguing.
Event Date 1984
Author: maa


Description (Physical description)
Calavera. Skull modelled in sugar paste for the Day of the Dead celebrations. A Latin cross made from black dots is visible on the forehead. Decorated with black and red pigments.
Event Date 23/6/2021
Author: Lucie Carreau


FM:84626

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