An Altar in Santeria

Monday


(Before anyone goes having a cow, this is not a discussion on religion, this is purely from a design and cultural standpoint.) I walked by this house in Trinidad, Cuba and saw an eerie doll in a chair in the middle of a solitary room, so of course, me being me, I said "Ooh, interesting! Let's go in!"

Above is a typical altar dedicated to one of many 'santos' (spirits/saints) in Santeria, in this case Yemaya, who governs the oceans and serves as the main centerpiece. A LOT of thought and time goes into creating these meticulously designed altars –  flowers, coconuts, embellishments, mantel pieces, paintings on the walls, etc.  Each piece means something.. Did you notice the HUGE anchor on the floor? I thought the altar was quite beautiful and I don't think you necessarily even need to understand what you're looking at to appreciate the artistry of it. (although it helps :-)


Envy is the soul of cowards.

..And away we went to shop in the market..

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