Santa Muerte Tinwork Shrine Ornament

Mixed media tinwork ornament made with vintage and upcycled materials, including tin-plated steel, aluminum, glass, wood, pewter, jute, cotton, and wool. There's a long tradition in both formal and folk Catholicism of presenting offerings or gifts  to saints as a way to thank them for their intercession. Sometimes these offerings are part of a specific vow made when petitioning the saint for their help, and in some cases the gifts or offerings are seen as not just fulfillment of a vow but as an actual payment made to the saint for services rendered.  As with many things in the realm of folk Catholicism, traditions can and do vary widely depending on time, place, and context, and the oral tradition plays a large role in how these practices emerge and spread. That has certainly been the case with the veneration of Santa Muerte over the last 20 years. Once, her imagery and altars were usually kept in private spaces within devotees' homes, away from prying eyes and rampant misunderstanding