This dramatic figure was probably made as part of a Day of the Dead celebration, a feast during which the living welcome and pay respect to the dead that originated in Mexico. Occurring between October 31 and November 2, it is celebrated in conjunction with the Catholic holidays All Saints’ and All Souls’. Images of skeletons are among the most prevalent in the associated rituals. This example was collected in Oaxaca and, interestingly, shows the figure engaged in the act of tejido weaving using a backstrap loom. This all-but-forgotten ancient technique saw a modest revival in Oaxaca in the 1950s, just about the time this figure was carved. The backstrap loom is a simple and portable construction of sticks, rope, and a strap worn around the weaver’s waist with the other end attached at an angle to a tree or other stable structure. The technique produces a plain weave in traditional geometric motifs used in clothing, belts, and slings to carry babies.

Stacy C. Hollander, "Day of the Dead Skeleton with Backstrap Loom," exhibition label for Jubilation|Rumination: Life, Real and Imagined. Stacy C. Hollander, curator. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2012.