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MEXICAN SKULL: MEANING, HISTORY AND USES

If we talk about laughing in the face of death its hard not to think of Mexicans. The Mexican skull stands out because it is cheerful and lively, colorful and decorated with roses and other flowers. But what is its significance? We will see this in-depth study, but first two premises:

– There are endless declinations. Depending on how you represent it, the skull with rose can emphasize more life and its delicacy, or death with its triumph. The style of design can give a Gothic atmosphere or a joyful meaning. Today I will tell about the colorful and witty shapes of the Dia de los Muertos skull.

– There are endless interpretations. Symbols, of course, tie in with time and culture. I am going to talk today about a symbol that comes from as far away as Mexico, but my interpretation will necessarily be Westernized.

DEATH AND LIFE: The skull and the rose tell the most powerful of contrasts

A dry, cold skull is a powerful, almost banal symbol of death, with its coldness and barrenness. Put a skull next to a flower as the Mexicans do, and the meaning changes completely: the beauty, balance, and joyfulness of the petals will transform the eerie dead head into a new and cheerful symbol.

The red rose, gorgeous and sensual, tells of the intense wonder of life. Its petals move with the wind, they are short-lived, the stem supporting it is fragile, and its colors change quickly. The contrast with the motionless, white, barren skull is most powerful and incredibly enhances the rose and its meaning of life.

Our life takes on incredible value when we put it before death: vital time becomes a rare, counted, precious commodity. The skull and the rose together tell just that.

Laugh in the face of death: the Dia de los Muertos

Mexican culture imagines the realm of the dead as a cheerful and colorful world, full of vitality and joy. Turning death into a happy moment is a brilliant and profound idea. It is not the Hades of the classics, sad and gray, but neither is it the Paradise of the monotheists, serious and solemn: it is a witty and playful afterlife in which the dead enjoy themselves.

A beautiful excerpt of this oh-so-unwestern afterlife can be found in the animated film “Coco,” Disney’s masterpiece of great poetry, or in Tim Burton‘s other Disney work , “Corpse Bride.”

Then there is the Dia de Muertos holiday in Mexico. Colorful faces, painted skulls, smiling skeletons. Among them is Catrina, the smiling Lady Skull character in full dress, invented by an illustrator in the late 1800s and becoming part of Mexican culture. Always lively and elegant, Catrina has a hat full of roses.

Taste the balance: the symmetry of the skull with rose

Men are attracted to symmetry: the more symmetrical a face is, the more attractive it will be considered. The skull, as well as the rose, has an extremely balanced and symmetrical shape. The union of these two harmonious forms creates a balanced, classic, elegant, timeless whole.

When there is symmetry, it is nice to break the rule, yet maintain the overall harmony: the flower in one eye of the skull, the irregularity of the petals, the alternating colors, are all elements that can add interest and mystery to a tattoo, painting, or any representation.

The life-enhancing flower: a meaning of eternity

In many cultures the flower is a symbol of rebirth, beauty and life after death. Edvard Munch said:

“From my ruined body, flowers will grow, I will be in them, and this is eternity.”

Putting a rose on top of a white skull, then, is also a message of eternity: somehow, we will continue to be there, in new forms.

The inspiration for the Los Muertos Mexican Skull Ring

We did countless studies to determine what the style of the Los Muertos Skull Ring should be. We wanted to tell in one object the joy of Mexican skulls and the triumph of the red rose with its meaning.

The final result was processed by our modeling artist Andrea.

The Mexican skull with rose must be symmetrical: we put a skull with its teeth prominently displayed, and in the free space of the forehead we put a large, central, triumphant rose, with decorative petals continuing to the sides as if there were a crown. The skull’s eye sockets, slightly smaller than the rose, are perfectly round and decorated with a wreath of tiny spheres.

Finally, the squiggles and curls typical of Mexican calaveras decorate in relief the chin and cheekbones of our Mexican Skull.

The meaning: since death smiles at everyone, send her a nice smile in return. Life, in front of her, is even more beautiful and precious.

Los Muertos Skull Ring – Designed and Made by Feel No Pain