sculptures of hands

Wearing a floral dress in deep rose with a sash, a studious angel holds a book. The Aguilar Artisan Workshop of Mexico creates this lovely sculpture, crafted of ceramic and painted by hand.

This Christmas season transports itself to the festive Andean lands in a display of art, culture and cheerfulness. Master artisan Feriberto Aylas draws inspiration from the traditional elements that compose the holiday decorations, merging them in this ceramic sculpture featuring a charming tree surrounded by snowmen, angels and the tender image of Joseph and Mary caring for baby Jesus.

Styled after traditional Guatemalan animal masks, this set of six ornaments makes a charming addition to a holiday tree. Victor Hugo Lopez crafts the set from reclaimed cypress wood, carving two roosters, two cats and two dogs, each painted in different colors.

Designed by Mexican duo Jesus and Roxana Hernandez, this set of five ornaments carries on the rich tradition of alebrije sculptures. Each ornament is carved by hand of copal wood to depict a sweet puppy. The ornaments are hand-painted with assorted colors.

Crafted by hand of Mexican copal wood, five loving hearts are hand-painted with intricate, colorful designs. Working in the time-honored tradition of Oaxaca's alebrije sculptures, Claudio Ojeda creates this set of petite ornaments, perfect for home decor or for hanging on the tree.

Artists the world over have been inspired by the famous blue tilework of Uzbekistan. Ceramic artisan Maxim and his talented team of crafters are no exception. Fine clay, delicate carving techniques and distinctive painting styles are their modern take on the centuries old craft. The multi-step process includes double firing and many stages of fine brush and needle painting. The heirloom- quality ornaments make a wonderful addition to any tree or an extra special gift.

Dionisio Rojas finds inspiration in the customs of the Puno region, depicting a nativity scene in a boat made from bulrushes. Mary and Joseph proudly present little Jesus as they travel in a traditional caballito de totora - a reed canoe. The Peruvian artisan celebrates Christmas with this beautiful ceramic figurine, crafted and painted by hand.

A graceful angel reveals the features of an orange tabby cat clasping her paws in prayer. This fanciful image comes from Nengah Sudarsana, who shares his love for animals through his work. Carved from Balinese albesia wood, the statuette is beautifully painted by hand.

Artisans Jesus and Roxana Hernandez of Mexico hand-paint this charming hummingbird alebrije ornament sky blue with red details on the tail and multicolor designs on the body. Hanging from a yellow ribbon, the bird is crafted from copal wood. Small parts are separated for shipping to protect from breakage.

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.