gifts for cat lovers

In this slightly more modern interpretation of traditional alebrije folk art, a stretching turquoise cat is covered with stripes, dots and spirals. Artisans Pablo and Lucy Mendez of Oaxaca carve the sculpture by hand from copal wood and paint it in meticulous detail. Small parts are separated for shipping to protect from breakage.

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

Taking a walk, a nocturnal little cat brings the magnificence of Mexican folk art to your home. Zeny and Reyna hand-carve this alebrije figurine of copal wood, hand-painting the black cat with vibrantly colored intricate motifs. Small parts are separated for shipping to protect from breakage.

Alebrijes are a fairly recent Mexican art form, attributed to Pedro Linares. Unconscious due to illness in 1936, he was presumed near death and yet his dreams were extremely vivid. He tells of a place where all was peaceful and quiet until all of a sudden there appeared a lion with an eagle's head, a rooster with bull's horns and a donkey with butterfly wings. They kept screeching "alebrije, alebrije!" and Pedro began running away. He encountered a man who told him it was not yet his time to be there are and he should continue running towards the exit. In this dream Pedro climbed out of a window and regained consciousness.

This lovely wooden hen decorative accent captures countryside charm with its playful silhouette and vibrant personality. Intricate floral and leaf motifs pop against the wooden surface, each ceramic element carefully molded by hand to create a three-dimensional effect that catches light and attention from every angle. Crafted with attention to the smallest details by Guatemala's Liz Oliva, this characterful accent adds a splash of handmade uniqueness to tabletops and shelves.