unusual decor

Wearing a traditional feathery chicha penacho headdress, an Aztec ruler is depicted by this Mexican mask. Juana Ponce creates this striking cultural mask, which is crafted from ceramic and painted by hand with colorful designs and intricate floral motifs in the characteristic style of Talavera handicrafts.

From the handicrafts mecca that is Tlaquepaque, Mexico, comes this vibrant hand-painted skull by Maria and Esteban. Dark eyebrows frame a smiling rose-colored face while small pink-tipped white flowers and festive peacocks in orange, cyan and sky blue adorn the back and sides. Bold explosions of color characterize Mexican folklore, and this decorative skull is an excellent example of this tradition.

Skulls are a recurrent theme in Mexican handicrafts, reflecting the convivial and familiar attitudes of the Mexican people towards death. Artisans in San Martín Tilcajete in the state of Oaxaca apply their vast wood carving knowledge to various subjects, including skulls. Jesus and Roxana Hernandez of San Martín present a hand-carved copal wood skull figurine in a rich terracotta hue. The green, blue, and yellow circles containing geometric patterns on the skull's top and sides are meticulously painted by hand. Green borders surround the black eye sockets and nasal cavities while a red line separates the top row of immaculately white teeth from the bottom row.

Crafted by hand of Mexican copal wood, five loving hearts are hand-painted with intricate, colorful designs. Working in the time-honored tradition of Oaxaca's alebrije sculptures, Claudio Ojeda creates this set of petite ornaments, perfect for home decor or for hanging on the tree.

Shaped of terracotta and painted by hand, the sun and moon embrace in an eclipse. Jose Arriola crafts a set of six ornaments in bright tropical colors and covers them with birds and flowers. The ornaments arrive in a bag of handwoven cotton.

This highly unusual nativity scene set features the typical personages — Mary, Joseph, Jesus, Wise Men and angel, but all depicted as skeletal figures a la Day of the Dead. They are created by Juan and Carolina of Chichicastenango, Guatemala from pinewood and hand-painted.