oaxaca wood

This beautiful alebrije figurine is from Gerardo and Teresa Ojeda in Mexico. They carve the sculpture by hand from copal wood, painting it in careful detail. Alebrijes are a traditional Oaxacan folk art, typically crafted from papier mache or wood.

The rough texture of the rhinoceros's skin is beautifully rendered by Thai artisans in this hand carved raintree wood statuette. The sculpture is given a natural finish to preserve the wood's attractive grain. Amporn presents the statuette.

Painted in stunning shades of deep lavender and honey gold, this alebrijereflects the vibrant culture of Mexico. Jesus and Roxana Hernandez craft the iguana from copal wood and decorate it with detailed designs.

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.

By Ruben and Gilda Perez, this beautiful mask depicts a bat, considered a rain god by both the Aztec and Maya cultures. During the dry season, masks such as this were used as a means of communication between humans and the deity in a request for rain. The artisans work in jade and stucco, carefully crafting a replica of a Mexican archaeological piece found in the Zapotec site of Monte Alban, Oaxaca. These replicas can take some seven days to complete. It arrives with a brass and pinewood display stand, and can also be displayed on the wall.