hand carved birds

With iridescent plumage, cut-out wings, and a textured body, this larger-than-life hummingbird wall sculpture brings a dazzling sense of movement to your decor. Handcrafted by J.Blas in Mexico, where spotting a hummingbird is occasion for making a wish. Comes ready to hang

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.

Mexican artisans Pablo and Lucy Mendez carve and paint by hand a beautiful sculpture of a hummingbird feeding from the center of a lotus flower. The artisans use vibrant blues that transition into aqua and green for the flower and adorn the hummingbird with a kaleidoscope of color, using color contrasts to meticulously detail the bird's feathers. Made from copal wood, the pieces of the sculpture are removable, and, if disassembled for shipping, can be easily reassembled. Small parts are separated for shipping to protect from breakage.