distinctive decor

This Balinese fish is decorated with colorful, busy motifs that race along its entire body, evoking water and ice. Jon Stuart Anderson has worked for 25 years to perfect this millefiori-style technique, which has allowed him to create intricate and amazing designs on his sculptures.

This charming multicolored turtle figurine from Mexico will be a cheerful addition to your home decor. Artisans Jesus and Roxana Hernandez handcraft the turtle from copal wood, painting it with the detailed motifs that are distinctive to alebrije artwork.

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.

With breathtaking ceramic sculptures painted by hand in great detail, Monica de Castellanos manages to convey the two things that inspire her the most: Angels and the culture of her native Guatemala. She decorates the angel sculptures using acrylic paints with motifs inspired by the traditional costumes worn by women in different regions of her country. In this case, she paints the splendid piece with the distinctive attire of San Rafael Petzal featuring a red blouse or hüipil with geometric designs in different shades and a burgundy skirt with horizontal and vertical stripes. The angel with imposing ivory wings holds a golden harp in her hands and is given a varnish finish that guarantees protection and durability.