Saul Montesinos: Preparing Mole, Day of the Dead Ceramic Scene

This wonderful Day of the Dead ceramic scene by Saul Montesinos of Izucar de Matamoros, Puebla turns an everyday Mexican kitchen into a lively calavera world. A skeletal cook stands at the center, her hair neatly braided and tied with bright yellow bows, preparing food surrounded by an extraordinary collection of tiny handmade details.
The scene is especially fun to explore. Tortillas warm on the comal, more are stacked nearby, and a richly decorated cazuela holds a dark mole with pieces of meat simmering inside. Even the small cooking utensils, stove, dishes, and ingredients have been modeled individually. Montesinos gives the entire composition the feeling of a kitchen caught in the middle of a busy meal rather than a static display.
In the Day of the Dead tradition, skeleton figures often continue doing the ordinary things people enjoyed in life, cooking, working, dancing, celebrating, and eating. Here that idea becomes particularly affectionate. Food is inseparable from memory during Día de los Muertos, when favorite dishes are prepared and placed on ofrendas to welcome the returning dead.
The intensely painted borders and decorative patterns are characteristic of the polychrome ceramic tradition of Izucar de Matamoros, an important pottery center in Puebla known for elaborate narrative sculptures and Trees of Life. Montesinos carries that tradition into a miniature Mexican kitchen filled with color, humor, and remarkable detail

Origin:Puebla
Dimensions: 6''Tall 6''Long 5''Wide