Oaxacan Owl Alebrije Handmade from Cedar, "Wide-Eyed Owl"

This wonderful alebrije figurine is the original creation of Mexico's Claudio Ojeda. The Oaxacan artisan carves the owl by hand from cedar wood, and then paints it by hand with colorful motifs.

The folk art tradition of alebrijes dates back to the 1930's in Mexico City. A man named Pedro Linares was taken ill, and in his fevered 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 "alebrije! alebrije!". Upon his recovery, Linares began recreating the fantastical creatures he had seen in his dream. The art form gained popularity, and alebrijes are now made of wood as well as papier mache. The same style of painting can also be found on other (non-animal) items.