animal figurines

Maribel Posso takes inspiration from traditional Pucara bulls to create this joyful Pucara horse. It's handcrafted in ceramic and painted with colorful floral designs over a deep red background.

Pucara figurines are a tradition native to the Puno region of Peru that mixes Andean beliefs and traditions with Spanish influences. The sculptures symbolize prosperity, happiness, and fertility and are commonly gifted to newlyweds and kept in homes as good luck amulets.

Ancient Andean legends portray the bull as a brave and fierce guardian that protects every home from negative energies. With the arrival of Spanish settlers, these fearless creatures became part of the Highland culture, inspiring artisans of the time to create ceramic sculptures that would later be put in pairs on the roofs to attract harmony. Today, Peruvian artist Elva Florez continues the ancient tradition, making a marvelous ceramic bull with sinuous motifs and a palette of red and golden tones.

A delightful piece of decor, this alebrije cricket statuette is painted in bright shades of yellow and red. Mexican artisans Pablo and Lucy Mendez handcraft the cricket from copal wood. 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.