La Croix des Oubliés (The Cross of the Forgotten) – Ricardo Pustanio Papier-Mâché Skull

La Croix des Oubliés (The Cross of the Forgotten) – Ricardo Pustanio Papier-Mâché Skull 

This haunting papier-mâché skull cross by famed New Orleans artist Ricardo Pustanio is a work of art and remembrance — a monument to the unseen and forgotten who shaped the city’s history.

✨ The Lore
In the 1830s and 1840s, thousands of Irish immigrants labored to carve the New Basin Canal through swamps and marshland. With little immunity to yellow fever and cholera, they perished by the thousands, claimed by what locals called Stranger’s Disease. Most were never given proper burial, their bodies left where they fell, the earth of New Orleans becoming both workplace and grave.

It is whispered that these spirits never left. Along the roads where the canal once flowed — now Pontchartrain Boulevard and the surrounding streets — people claim to hear phantom voices, feel sudden chills, and see ghostly figures wandering in workman’s clothes, forever digging in the shadows. 

The Cross of the Forgotten embodies those spectral presences, standing as both warning and memorial. Its bones interlace with the fleur-de-lis, a reminder that the city’s beauty and resilience were built upon sacrifice and suffering.

✨ The Art

• Original papier-mâché sculpture by Ricardo Pustanio
  
  
• Skull mounted within a fleur-de-lis cross, symbol of New Orleans
  
  
• Painted with aged patina of ochres and rust, as though unearthed from the swamps
  
  
• Set on a sturdy, ornate base evoking relics and ritual artifacts
  
  

This piece is both a striking altar work and a relic of storytelling — bridging art, history, and the spectral folklore of New Orleans.

Sold as curio, esoteric, religious item.

Due to the weight and dimensions of this piece, in-store pickup is encouraged when possible. If shipping is required, you may receive a partial refund if overcharged at checkout, or an additional invoice if the actual shipping and handling cost exceeds the amount paid.

🎨 About the Artist
Ricardo Pustanio is an internationally celebrated ritual artist, known for his sacred skulls, Vodou shrines, and large-scale installations. Former designer of the Krewe of Mid-City (1999–2020) and creator of the International Shrine of Marie Laveau, Pustanio’s work continues to evolve—bridging spirit, ceremony, and myth. His pieces are recognized around the world and have been requested by the International Museum of Arts and Civilisations of Vodun in Benin.