Decorative orange tissue papercut, from Mexican Day of the Dead festival

This papercut is one of a range of items made for the Mexican Day of the Dead festival (31 October - 2 November). Families use these to decorate altars (ofrendas) dedicated to dead relations. The figure shown is 'La Catrina' - a servant who dresses up.

This tissue papercut features a smartly-dressed female. It was made, as part of a batch of papercuts, by striking a sharp-bladed cutting tool into a pad of tissue. The plain fringe at the top is for folding over and running a cord through, for suspension

The Mexican Day of the Dead festival combines the Christian feasts of All Souls' Day (31 October) and All Saints' Day (Todos Santos, Hallowmas, 1 November) with pre-Christian beliefs, in celebrating the return of the dead with feasts and offerings.

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Online ID:	000-190-004-340-C
Image Rights Holder:	National Museums Scotland
Project:	0098: National Museums Scotland Project description \| View all records in project
Ref:	National Museums Scotland K.1999.1431
Date:	1999
Material:	Tissue, orange
Dimensions:
What:	Papercut / figure
Subject:
Who:	La Catrina
Where:	Central America, Mexico Mexico, Mexico City (Sonora Market)
Event:	Mexican Day of the Dead festival
Description:	Orange tissue papercut featuring La Catrina figure, skeletal vesion of a fashionable lady, made for the Mexico Day of the Dead festival, 1999
References:	Carmichael, E. and Sayer, C., The Skeleton at the feast. Texas: 1997
Translations:
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