cardinal decor

Guatemalan artisan Manuel Delfino carves this cute cardinal from pinewood, painting a tropical floral motif by hand. Manuel carries on the family tradition of woodcarving in the footsteps of his father, carving his first piece in 1993. Operating his own small workshop, Manuel has created employment in his community and seeks to strengthen the local cultural identity.

Arriving in a set of six, these ceramic ornaments are carefully crafted in the shape of beautiful cardinals, parrots, and peacocks. Guatemalan artisan Pedro Apop crafts the birds by hand, drawing inspiration from his love of nature.

Mauricio Morales crafts a petite ceramic bird figurine that features exquisite hand painted detailing. "The process for making these small creatures was something I learned when I was small. Since then, it has become a passion of mine," says the Guatemalan artisan, adding that the sculpture is made for, "all of those who love birds." He starts by mixing the clay and carefully shaping the figure, and then he adds aluminum legs and feet. After the bird is fired, he sands it, mixes his own colors and paints the figurine. The result is a charming and precise depiction of a female cardinal complete with red-orange bill and reddish crest.

Filiberto Chali draws inspiration from his beloved Guatemala to express his fervent desire for peace. "This is my own unique representation of world peace," the artist explains. "The corn symbolizes an abundance of food for everyone on Earth so there will be happiness. The four colors of the corn means there will be no more discrimination for the color of our skin, as nature has taught us. The lighted candles illuminate the four cardinal points in the Maya's Mother Earth. They represent the flame of peace we all yearn for. And the most important image is the white dove, a symbol of peace in the whole world."

Titled La Paz in Spanish.