holiday ornaments

Wearing traditional Andean dress, Mary and Joseph end their quest for shelter in a church in the highlands of Peru. Dionisio Rojas Gutiérrez crafts a New World creche where strong stone walls provide shelter from winter winds. Angels, shepherds and musicians accompany the miracle of the first Christmas, and doves symbolize the presence of the Holy Spirit.

This handcrafted retablo by Jose Ramos of Peru fuses the traditional nativity scene with the joy of an Andean festival. Graceful three-dimensional flowers and vines cover both sides of the green doors. Inside, a host of Andean musicians celebrate the baby in the manger with Mary and Joseph lovingly looking on.

Add a unique touch to your holiday ornament collection with this detailed alebrije heart by husband and wife duo Jesus and Roxana. They hand-carve it from copal wood and hand-paint it with joyful geometric designs in turquoise, cyan blue, and purple.

Jesus and Roxana Hernandez come from a Zapotec community in Oaxaca where a large number of the residents work crafting alebrijes. Jesus takes care of the carving part while Roxana works her magic creating the colorful patterns that decorate them.

For a charming and whimsical addition to your home decor, this sculpture from Peru depicts a Parisian cat. The cat wears a beret and striped scarf as it holds a glass of wine and smiles. John Barrow designs this impressive sculpture, which is crafted of several colorful wood pieces that are each carved by hand and assembled like a puzzle.

Jose Canil Ramos combines Guatemala's Day of the Dead customs with Christian traditions for the design of this extraordinary nativity scene. "I thought it would be fun to make it with innocent skeletons," explains Canil. He carves each pinewood figurine by hand, allowing each piece to bake to achieve an aged, rustic appearance. This nativity scene includes the Holy Family, the Three Kings, and angel, and mule and an ox, for a total of nine pieces.

Joseph's hand and staff, as well as the angel's wings are removed for shipping.