The autumnal LEGO set for the Day of the Dead is an ofrenda decorated with marigolds and candles in 40811 Altar of the Dead. Read the Blocks review of the new festive model to see if you should add it to your Halloween display…
Altars called ofrendas are built as part of Day of the Dead celebrations to remember the ancestors and welcome their spirits as they return home. They are usually decorated with the four elements including pitchers or vases for water, paper banners to represent wind, different types of food for earth and candles are lit for fire. Does this miniature LEGO version capture these different details?
Price: £12.99 / $13.99 / €13.99
Pieces: 231
Available: Now at LEGO.com
You build both the decorative skull and the table for the altar at the same time, with the elements integrated so that rotating the model reveals its different sides. The skull is inspired by a traditional calavera, which are hand painted and often used to decorate home altars. Curved white bricks create the sloping jaw, while half-oval tiles are aligned in two layers to represent rows of teeth. Both the eye and nose cavities are recessed using arches, with black bricks set behind, implying the illusion of deep shadows.
You add splashes of colour through colourful cheese slopes and an array of LEGO flower elements in blues, purples and yellows. You place more flowers into the eye sockets, giving the skull a friendly appearance and matching the style of many actual calaveras.
Next you construct the altar. This is stepped at different heights using layers of bricks covered in black tiles and some colourful tiles are arranged around the edges for displaying the paper banners. These all have intricate designs and most of them are animals. One depicts the silhouette of a xoloitzcuintli, an ancient breed of dog believed to help safely guide souls to the underworld.
It also suggests that this altar is dedicated to beloved pets, as Día de los Muertos celebrations incorporate different days with different offerings, depending on who is being honoured. While family altars are built at the beginning of November, ofrendas for pets are traditionally made on October 27. It’s these little details that make 40811 Altar of the Dead quite special, because it’s clear that the designers have put a lot of care into making sure that the culture is represented as accurately as possible.
Another important element are the marigolds scattered across the altar, placed in the two vases, and added to the skull. Marigold flowers are an iconic symbol for the Day of the Dead, lining streets and ofrendas to guide the spirits of the dead home with their vibrant colour and sweet scent.
It all makes 40811 Altar of the Dead a beautiful and poignant little model that could be added to any Halloween display or given as a gift to someone to honour a pet because of its symbolism. It would also pair well with LEGO Ideas 21372 La Catrina, which is also inspired by the Mexican traditions of Día de los Muertos.
Score: 55
Verdict: A beautiful model that combines culture and colourful details into a unique little plastic calavera.
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