Multicolored Wood Alebrije Bull Figurine from Mexico, "Colorful Bull"

In a crouched posture, this charming bull figurine is painted by hand with colorful Mexican folk art motifs. Eugenia and Roberto Sosa design this delightful alebrije, which is carved by hand from copal wood.

Alebrijes are a fairly recent Mexican art form, attributed to Pedro Linares. Unconscious due to illness in 1936, he was presumed near death and yet his dreams were extremely vivid. He tells of a place where all was peaceful and quiet until all of a sudden there appeared a lion with an eagle's head, a rooster with bull's horns and a donkey with butterfly wings. They kept screeching "alebrije, alebrije!" and Pedro began running away. He encountered a man who told him it was not yet his time to be there are and he should continue running towards the exit. In this dream Pedro climbed out of a window and regained consciousness.