Husband and wife duo Zeny and Reyna from Oaxaca grew up with the tradition of carving alebrijes (fantastical figurines of real and imagined animals); both of their parents were master carvers in that region's traditional folk art. Here they create a wonderfully colorful snail in great detail. The snail is carved by hand from copal wood and painted in a wide array of meticulous patterns.
Small parts are separated for shipping to protect from breakage.It is said that Oaxaca's alebrije tradition descends directly from Mexico City artisan Pedro Linares (1906-1992). When he was 30, he became seriously ill and fell into a sort of coma. While he was unconscious, he had a most fantastic dream. He was caught between the land of the living and the dead; the place looked like a forest and was populated with creatures with body parts belonging to different animals. The beings repeatedly uttered the word alebrije, and when Linares woke up, he recreated these figures in vivid colors using papier mache techniques and called them alebrijes . His work became famous and eventually influenced artisans in the state of Oaxaca who decided to craft alebrijes using traditional wood carving methods and according to that region's world vision.
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Well-made and vibrant
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This snail is so lovely in person. The colors are rich and alive!
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Love the detail, just a lot larger than I expected, kind of out of proportion.
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very well done
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Thank you Zeny and Reyna for another spectacular piece! The details are amazing. I will eventually use this with children as a visual to go with the book Snail Girl (a Navajo story). It has been so much fun to add to my Oaxacan alebrije collection with treasures from Novica.
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As I ve said, Zeny and Reyna s wooden animal world are fantastic, each one brings it unique character and colors!
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We ve already a few of Zeno and Reyna s in our little collection! Never enough!
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The “Cat of the Moon and Water” is a stand out work of art.
Cat of the Moon and Water, Mexico Alebrije Mystical Cat Sculpture Oaxaca Folk Art
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adorable little dragon with excellent, beautifully executed painting
Dramatic Dragon, Fuchsia Alebrije Dragon with Multicolor Hand Painted Motifs
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This tiny little guy is so cute I felt he needed a buddy, so I ordered another in a different color! Such amazing detail work - thank-you!
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This red cat shares her joy at playing with her ball. She is a lot of fun. Thanks!
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