decorative duck decoys

The swallow motif has long been popular in authentic Talavera pottery and is usually depicted in cobalt blue, popular in the 16th and 17th centuries. However this bird seems to suggest the quetzal found in the cloud forests of Oaxaca, a state that borders Puebla. Isabelle Collins works in the style and technique of classic Talavera ceramics to create a beautiful ginger jar. This lidded vase is known in Mexico as a tibor; it was brought to Mexico from the Orient by way of the Philippines in the late 1500s.

"We use the same techniques and styles used in 16th-century Puebla. Classic Talavera used only six colors, all of which were natural glazes compounded at home with mineral pigments. We create our homemade paintbrushes using mule hair or horsehair from the mane or tail, according to the thickness desired for our motifs," the artisan confides.

A pop of fuchsia will add energy and character to your indoor and outdoor spaces with this amazing decorative hanging accessory created by Thai artisan Chawika. She pays tribute to her country's traditional lanterns by giving their shape to this accessory handmade with cotton and featuring a bamboo ring for hanging.

Bring some wildlife charm to your home with this fantastic wall art depicting two Costa Rican toucans perching on a tree branch. This unique decorative accent that comes with an agave cord is meticulously carved by hand in dried calabash gourd by the artisans of the Guevara Cabalceta Family.

A couple of intertwined macaws resting peacefully on a tree branch is the theme for this dreamy wall art carved in dried calabash gourd. Warm your home with this decorative accent that hangs from an agave cord in a beautiful design by the artisans of Costa Rica's Guevara Cabalceta Family.

Perching on a tree branch, two intertwined toucans are depicted in a tranquil moment of rest. The serene scene is hand-carved in dried calabash gourd by the artisans of Costa Rica's Guevara Cabalceta Family for an exquisite decorative accent you can display on your walls with the help of the accompanying agave cord.

The artisans of Costa Rica's Guevara Cabalceta Family specialize in handicrafts carved in dried calabash gourd that celebrate their country's magical flora and fauna. A pair of toucans perching on a tree is depicted in this splendid decorative accent you can hang on the wall with the accompanying agave cord to bring warmth to your space.

Take an animal-lover approach while decorating your Christmas tree and brighten it up with this set of four hen ornaments crafted by hand from fine mahogany wood. The charming ornaments feature polyester cords to hang them and silver and golden motifs painted by hand in a lovely design by Balinese artisan Komang Sri.

Poised and ready to swoop in at the first sight of nectar is this inventively decorated hanging hummingbird alebrije from Mexican artisans Jesus and Roxana Hernandez of Oaxaca. Carved by hand from copal wood, the bird's red and purple body is adorned with small yellow blossoms. The removable wings and tail feathers are green and terracotta with yellow tips. The bird can be hung using the metal ring on its back. 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.