Description

Sugar art was brought to the New World by Italian missionaries in the 17th century. The first Church mention of sugar art was from Palermo at Easter time when little sugar lambs and angels were made to adorn the side altars in the Catholic Church.

Mexico, abundant in sugar production and too poor to buy fancy imported European church decorations, learned quickly from the friars how to make sugar art for their religious festivals. Clay molded sugar figures of angels, sheep and sugar skulls go back to the Colonial Period 18th century. Sugar skulls represented a departed soul, had the name written on the forehead and was placed on the home ofrenda or gravestone to honor the return of a particular spirit. Sugar skull art reflects the folk art style of big happy smiles, colorful icing and sparkly tin and glittery adornments. Sugar skulls are labor intensive and made in very small batches in the homes of sugar skull makers. These wonderful artisans are disappearing as fabricated and imported candy skulls take their place.

• Contains 1 oz. Troy of .999 Fine Silver
• Obverse: A three-sugar skull design with one looking to the right, one looking straight, and one looking left, with roses, vines and a snake below.
• Reverse: High-Relief Intaglio Mint logo set on radial burst surrounded by stippled border reading “ONE TROY OUNCE” above and “.999 FINE SILVER” below on textured background, flanked by mintage year in roman numerals “MMXXII”.