oaxaca art

Working in the traditional Oaxacan folk art form called alebrijes, Pablo and Lucy Mendez in Mexico create this marvelous sculpture. The delicate deer is carved by hand from copal wood and then painted in meticulous detail. Please note that small parts may be detached for secure shipping.

The folk art tradition of alebrijes dates back to the 1930s in Mexico City. A man named Pedro Linares was taken ill, and in his fevered dreams he saw a strange land populated with curious creatures--a donkey with wings, a rooster with bull's horns, and a lion with the head of a dog. The beasts all ran at him, shouting the nonsense word, "alebrije! alebrije!". Upon his recovery, Linares began recreating the fantastical creatures he had seen in his dream in papier mache. The art form gained popularity, and alebrijes are now made of wood as well as papier mache. The same style of painting can also be found on other (non-animal) items.

This jewel-toned area rug will liven up any space in your home. Juan Contreras hand weaves it on a traditional Zapotec loom using wool to create a geometric diamond pattern in taupe and deep red.

Juan proudly continues with the art of weaving that he learned from his parents as a young man. He is involved in every step of the process — from shearing the sheep to dyeing the wool and weaving it into original designs.

Angel Cerón finds inspiration in the art and beliefs of the Olmeca people to replicate the sculpture of a jaguar holding a man standing on his head. "The original sculpture is from the middle pre-classic period of 1200-400 B.C. and was found in San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán, Veracruz," explains the master ceramist. "The ancient Olmeca believed they were descendants of the union between a jaguar and a woman. The actual myth seems to have been lost in time, though many of their celebrations and artistry make reference to the jaguar, especially portraying people with feline facial characteristics including fangs. There used to be a considerable jaguar population in the same region where the Olmeca culture developed, so they regarded the feline as having some connection with their origin. They also believed it to represent both the world of th living, and the underworld," continues Cerón, who crafts the sculpture with yellow clay from the state of Oaxaca creating low and high relief accents and gives it an antiqued finish.