Wood Alebrije Swordfish Figurine from Mexico, "Swordfish Mystery"

Carved of copal wood, this delightful figurine from Mexico depicts a swordfish. Mexican duo Zeny and Reyna design this "mystery of nature" in the traditional style of alebrije handicrafts. The swordfish features a vibrant, hand-painted finish.

The alebrije tradition started with Mexico City papier mache artisan Pedro Linares (1906-1992). When he was 30, he fell into a coma due to serious illness. While he was unconscious, he dreamed 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. Upon recovering, Linares recreated these figures in bright colors using papier mache techniques and called them alebrijes. His work became famous and was one of the main influences of artisans in the state of Oaxaca who began crafting alebrijes of their own using traditional wood carving methods.