forest ring

Colorful feathers and enchanting chants surround the forest when spring arrives. Crafted in Bali, Made Arsa's newest sculpture honors the harmonious beauty of the hummingbirds, whose presence announces days of prosperity and beauty. The artwork is made on natural benalu wood pieces to recreate a natural scene, accented by carved jempinis wood birds painted by hand.

A little black owl rests on this magical creation by Made Arsa from Bali. After collecting pieces of benalu wood, the artisan profits from the material's natural shape to create this sculpture that evokes the mysterious side of the forest. The final touch is in the little jempinis wood bird that crowns Made's creation, painted by hand.

As if from a fantastical world, a purple parrot rests on a benalu wood log in a design crafted by Balinese artisan Made Arsa. Inspired by the enchanted beauty of the region's forests, Made paints the jempinis wood bird in a palette of purple hues with little white accents to resemble sparks. After polishing each piece, the artisan unites each element to create this stunning sculpture.

Distinguished by its bright red crown and a bright blue back, the male long-tailed manakin is native to the subtropical forests of Central America. Guatemala's Mauricio Morales crafts the beautiful bird from ceramic, carefully painting it by hand in wonderful detail. Wire legs allow you to display the figurine as desired.

Hope and magic surround each landscape in the paradisial Balinese islands. Artisan Made Arsa works with natural benalu wood pieces and jempinis wood to create this sublime sculpture, whose natural details depict a glorious butterfly on a typical forest scene—enriched with hand-painted details.

Forget everything you thought you knew about coyotes, because this one reinvents itself entirely in deep forest green, adorned with oversized crimson medallions ringed in yellow that pulse across its body like a fever dream. Carved from copal wood and painted by hand, this coyote figurine is a testament to the living tradition of Mexican alebrije artistry, where skilled hands transform humble wood into something that feels almost mythological. His hot-pink snout tilts upward with unmistakable confidence, and white claw tips peek out beneath him like a final, knowing wink.

Looking for the nectar of the day, a stunning hummingbird finds its sweet comfort in this sculpture handcrafted by Made Arsa. After collecting benalu wood pieces from the Balinese forest, the artisan starts a long process that results in this charming artwork. The bird is made from jempinis wood and hand-painted by Made, who uses vibrant hues to illustrate the mystic nature of his creation.

Gusti Ngurah Semarajaya is a hardworking artisan from Indonesia, seamlessly combining wood carvings with painting. He designs this jewelry box, which is hand-carved from local jempinis wood. He paints the striking image of Bhoma on its surface, a fierce-looking god that is known as lord of the forest and protector of small villages. The box opens to reveal four small compartments that surround one large compartment, all lined with polyester velvet for storing pieces of jewelry. A convenient mirror is on the inside of the lid.

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.

The queen of the Javanese forests shows her beauty in this pule wood mask by artisan Retno Pratiwi. Hand-drawn batik motifs decorate this unique piece, whose brown and red hues unite in a floral pattern that honors the region's nature.

A perky green parrot alights on a tree branch. With wings spread, it flaunts flirty feathers in bright primary colors. Pablo and Lucy Mendez carry on the traditional alebrije folk art they learned from their own parents to craft the beautiful bird.

Oaxaca's alebrije tradition derives from the art of Pedro Linares (1906-1992), a Mexico City papier mache artist. While in a coma during a serious illness, he found himself in a dream forest with fanciful creatures made with body parts from different animals. They cried, "Alebrije! Alebrije!" When he awakened, Linares crafted the figures in papier mache and his influence reached to Oaxaca, where they are carved from copal wood.

Because each sculpture is an individually created work of folk art, shapes are dictated by the wood branch and may vary slightly. The feathers and tree trunk are disassembled to protect them during shipping.

A perky red parrot alights on a tree branch. With wings spread, it flaunts flirty feathers in bright primary colors. Pablo and Lucy Mendez carry on the traditional alebrije folk art they learned from their own parents to craft the beautiful bird.

Oaxaca's alebrije tradition derives from the art of Pedro Linares (1906-1992), a Mexico City papier mache artist. While in a coma during a serious illness, he found himself in a dream forest with fanciful creatures made with body parts from different animals. They cried, "Alebrije! Alebrije!" When he awakened, Linares crafted the figures in papier mache and his influence reached to Oaxaca, where they are carved from copal wood.

Because each sculpture is an individually created work of folk art, shapes are dictated by the wood branch and may vary slightly. The feathers and tree trunk are disassembled to protect them during shipping.