Hand Painted Alebrije Cat Figurine, "Bicycle Cat"

Mexican artisans Zeny and Reyna create this excellent alebrije sculpture, demonstrating their expertise in the Oaxacan folk art form. The whimsical sculpture is carved from copal wood and painted in lavish detail in a rainbow of colors.

The folk art tradition of alebrijes dates back to the 1930s in Mexico City. A man named Pedro Linares was taken ill, and in his feverish dreams he saw a strange land populated with curious creatures--a donkey with wings, a rooster with bull's horns, and a lion with the head of a dog. The beasts all ran at him, shouting the nonsense word, "alebrije! alebrije!". Upon his recovery, Linares began recreating the fantastical creatures he had seen in his dream in papier mache. The art form gained popularity, and alebrijes are now made of wood as well as papier mache.