cool gifts from mexico

In an homage to José Guadalupe Posada's "La Calavera Catrina", Mexico's Jorge Escamilla creates this fun sculpture. Wearing overalls and carrying a saw and a wooden board, the skeletal carpenter is crafted of clay and steel wire. The original "La Calavera Catrina" was a zinc etching created by the artist José Guadalupe Posada in Mexico around 1910. Posada created the character, a female skeleton with an elegant hat, as a satirical portrait to lampoon Mexican natives who aspired to European style and denied their own heritage. The catrina has since become an emblem of Mexico's Day of the Dead celebration and a popular folk art subject.

Skeleton lovers wear flowers on their faces to celebrate the Day of the Dead as a set of four coasters from Mexico. Ana Maria Gonzalez selects the handsome couple as she applies decoupage techniques to pinewood coasters. A dark brown wood holder is included.

Husband and wife duo Zeny and Reyna from Oaxaca grew up with the tradition of carving alebrijes (fantastical figurines of real and imagined animals); both of their parents were master carvers in that region's traditional folk art. Here they create a wildly colorful dragon in a contorted, acrobatic pose. The dragon is carved by hand from copal wood and painted in a rainbow of psychedelic colors.

Small parts are separated for shipping to protect from breakage.It is said that Oaxaca's alebrije tradition descends directly from Mexico City 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.

Gift your martial arts-loving friend this awesome Mexican twist on their favorite sport. Jorge Escamilla sculpts a cool skeleton fighter in a fierce Muay Thai round-kick pose. He wears deep red trunks and a matching red headband.

Jorge's work blends popular Mexican iconography with everyday themes. He credits his craft as the greatest source of personal growth in his life.

This is an awesome gift for the music fans in your life or for anyone looking to add a conversation piece to their home. Jorge Escamilla crafts a skeleton saxophone player from ceramic and dresses him up in a cool suit, hat, and shades.

Jorge Escamilla's work blends popular Mexican iconography with everyday themes. He credits his craft as the greatest source of personal growth in his life.

The artistry evoked by Day of the Dead thrives all year long, inspiring Roy Nilson to design this brooch featuring endearing skeletons. He is dressed in traditional bullfighter attire, she in a flirty flamenco skirt. They dance and charm in a sterling silver brooch with oxidized contrasts that doubles as a pendant.

A dapper Catrin with a hat and mustache is featured in this set of four round coasters, made of pinewood with decoupage cutouts. Crafted by Mexico's Ana Maria Gonzalez, these coasters celebrate the beauty of Day of the Dead imagery. Includes a dark brown holder.