Historically, the creation of sand tapestries was a Oaxacan mortuary custom. They are found all over Oaxaca City as a decoration on the street and in hotel displays during Día de Muertos.
Oaxacan sand painting in a busy marketplace
Tapete of the Virgin of Solitude and a statue with the skull head of a Catrina decorate the entrance to the Hotel Marques Del Valle.
Exhibition of Traditional Tapete de Levantada de Cruz at the Panteon de Santa Cruz Xoxocotlan
Description in English of the Traditional Sand Art in Xoxocotlan
The cross-raised rug is a symbol of the Catholic Church, their elements represent the Calvary Mount, recalling the place where Jesus Christ died. Inside the carpet selects the passion of Jesus, as you can see:
At their sides we can find the stairs, symbolizing that they were occupied when the Holy Men Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea lowered the body of Jesus.
To the right you can see the hammer with which they nailed Jesus to the cross, the nails that pierced the hands and feet of Jesus, the crown of thorns which they placed on Jesus’ head to call him King of the Jews, the cock that crowed then Jesus’ apostle Peter had denied him three times.
To the left is the second hammer, the sign describing that Jesus was the King of the Jews, the spear with which the soldier Longing opened the side piercing his heart and spilling the last drops of blood.
More below we find two angels bowing to the cross, meaning the shelter that Jesus had in the tomb, the candle represent the faith that the deceased had to the religion, two vases with their respective flowers signify the refuge with which the body was embalmed of Jesus; the chalice that symbolizes the Sacrament of the Eucharist which is the food of salvation.
Tapete de Levantada de le Cruz are portals between life and death. They are created by craftsman called rezadors. The tradition pre-dates the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors to Mexico, but the subject matter of sand paintings and their imagery was transformed using Catholic iconography.
