chest of drawers

Ana Maria Gonzalez in Mexico creates this fun jewelry chest, employing the decoupage technique. A skeletal bride and groom are depicted on the top and front of the pinewood box, in homage to José Guadalupe Posada's La Calavera Catrina. The small chest features two drawers for storing small treasures.

The original "La Calavera Catrina" was a zinc etching created by the artist José Guadalupe Posada in Mexico around 1910. Posada created the character, a female skeleton with an elegant hat, as a satirical portrait of Mexican natives who aspired to European style and denied their own heritage. The catrina has since become an emblem of Mexico's Day of the Dead celebration and a popular folk art subject.

Empress of Mexico from 1864 to 1867, Doña Carlota was a Belgian princess who brought Parisian flair to her new home in Mexico. Handcrafted by Ana Maria Gonzalez, this decoupage jewelry box depicts vignettes from France. The mini chest features two drawers to keep personal treasures organized.

A loving mother, the Virgin of Guadalupe is forever linked to Mexico. She first appeared in 1531 to Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill outside today's Mexico City and, as proof, caused roses to bloom at the site. Ana Maria González recreates the famous portrait in an antique-style decoupage chest. It features one compartment and three drawers.

Designed to look like a vintage heirloom, this pinewood trunk features three drawers to keep personal treasures organized. By Ana Maria González, it is adorned with decoupage images of some of Diego Rivera's best known works.

Ana Maria Gonzalez finds inspiration in Mexico's lotería (bingo) for the design of this jewelry box. Featuring two drawers and a compartment under the lid, the box is adorned with decoupage. The traditional lotería includes 54 different images and numbers, and it is believed to have been brought to Mexico in 1769, when it was reserved for the upper classes. Eventually it became widely played by everyone, and is now a trademark at traditional fairs as well as in homes and schools.