Artifact of the Month

This 21st century painting shows the Catholic icon Our Lady of Guadalupe with a Mexican flag and a red bandana covering her face. The Virgin of Guadalupe is often used as a unifying symbol for Mexicans. In this image, the bandana over her face symbolizes the Zapatista Army of National Liberation, a revolutionary group based in the state of Chiapas, and the painting serves as a piece of political propaganda.

This silk hat in the shape of a tiger is representative of a traditional Q’ing Chinese form of head covering. The hat is designed to protect a male child from evil spirits that may wish to harm him.

Explore the MOA collection »