pretty sculpture

Mauricio Morales crafts a small ceramic bird figurine that features exquisite hand painted detailing. "The process for making these small animals was something I learned when I was small...since then it has become a passion of mine," says the Guatemalan artisan, adding that the bird sculpture is made for, "...all of those who love birds." He starts by mixing the clay and carefully shaping the figure,and then he adds aluminum legs and feet. After the bird is fired, he sands it, mixes his own colors and paints the figurine. The result is a charming and precise depiction of a jacobin hummingbird complete with blue head, slender bill, white belly, and green plumage.

Engaging in a natural romance, a blue bird and a pink bird perch side-by-side in this inspiring piece of wall decor from Mexico. J. Blas designs the wall sculpture, diligently crafting it of steel with a painted finish.

A playful hummingbird soars skyward in an alebrije sculpture designed to hang from the ceiling. Zeny and Reyna transform found pieces of copal wood into a delightful alebrije. These fanciful sculptures are a traditional folk art in Oaxaca, once based on twenty totems but today representing all kinds of animals. They take their name from a Caló gypsy word for "something difficult, tangled, confusing or fantastic."

Includes a thread for hanging.

Because each alebrije is individually created work of folk art, shapes will vary slightly. Small parts are separated for shipping to protect from breakage.

Artisan Carlos Mendez in Mexico crafts this pretty box from copal wood and paints it by hand in the style of Oaxacan alebrije sculptures. The narrow box is just right for storing jewelry and other small treasures.

Deftly carving sese wood, Anna Yawson crafts a decorative box in the shape of a tilapia fish. Applications of white clay add texture. Painted by hand in blue and orange, the box is named Lo, a Ga word meaning "fish."

This pretty young lady is the creation of El Salvador's Marcela Moran. She crafts the decorative accent from handloomed cotton, with a basket woven of yagua palm fiber on her head that holds small ceramic fruits. The collectible doll is secured to a guava wood base.