oaxaca folk art

A playful hummingbird seeks out the sweet nectar of flowers in an alebrije sculpture designed to hang from the ceiling. Zeny and Reyna transform found pieces of copal wood into a delightful alebrije. These fanciful sculptures are a traditional folk art in Oaxaca, once based on twenty totems but today representing all kinds of animals. They take their name from a Calo gypsy word for "something difficult, tangled, confusing or fantastic."

Includes a thread for hanging.

Because each alebrije is individually created work of folk art, shapes will vary slightly. Small parts are separated for shipping to protect from breakage.

This excellent small dolphin sculpture is the original creation of Oaxacan artisans Jesus and Roxana Hernandez. They work in the folk art style of alebrijes to carve the figurine from copal wood and paint it meticulously by hand.

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 the nonsense word,"alebrije! alebrije!". Upon his recovery, Linares began recreating the fantastical creatures he had seen in his dream in papier mache. The art form gained popularity, and alebrijes are now made of wood as well as papier mache.

A realistic tree frog comes to life in hand-carved and painted copal wood. Pablo and Lucy Mendez carry on the traditional alebrije folk art they learned from their own parents. This charming creature brings a touch of whimsy to any setting.

Oaxaca's alebrije tradition derives from the art of Pedro Linares (1906-1992), a Mexico City papier mache artist. While in a coma during a serious illness, he found himself in a dream forest with fanciful creatures made with body parts from different animals. They cried, "Alebrije" Alebrije!" When he awakened, Linares crafted the figures in papier mache and his influence reached to Oaxaca, where they are carved from copal wood.

Because each sculpture is an individually created work of folk art, shapes are dictated by the wood branch and may vary slightly.

Inspired by the sweet embroidered flowers adorning Oaxaca's traditional textiles, Mexican artisans Pablo and Lucy Mendez create an adorable copal wood ornament that captures the region's culture and festive aura in one colorful sphere. This time, the team uses a palette of green, red and pink hues to hand-paint each floral detail, allowing for a stunning vibe. As the final touch, a cute tassel and beads dance at the bottom of the design.

A delightful piece of decor, this alebrije cricket statuette is painted in bright shades of green. Mexican artisans Pablo and Lucy Mendez handcraft the cricket from copal wood. Small parts are separated for shipping to protect from breakage.

It is said that Oaxaca's alebrije tradition descends directly from Mexico City papier mache 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.

From the Mexican state of Oaxaca comes a hand painted armadillo alebrije who swaps some of its scales for colorful dots and rhombuses. Presented by Jesus and Roxana Hernandez of San Martín Tilcajete, the hand carved copal wood figurine is moss green and scaly except for two middle sections of its back; these feature triangles and small and large dots in pink, green, blue, and red. The removable tail is hand painted as well in purple, green, yellow, and blue. Small parts are separated for shipping to protect from breakage.

It is said that Oaxaca's alebrije tradition descends directly from Mexico City papier mache 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.