statuette

In the 1930s in Oaxaca, Mexico, an artist named Pedro Linares fell ill. In his fevered dreams, he saw fantastical creatures--a lion with the head of a bird; a rooster with bull's horns. The colorful animals all rushed toward him shouting the nonsense word, "alebrije! alebrije!". Upon awakening, he felt compelled to recreate his vision, and the art form of alebrijes was born. Eugenia and Roberto Sosa uphold the artistic tradition with this excellent coyote sculpture. Carved from copal wood, the statuette is painted by hand in brilliant detail.

Fangs bared, this small jaguar sculpture from Gerardo and Teresa Ojeda in Mexico makes a big impression. Carved from soft copal wood, the alebrije is beautifully painted by hand.

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.

A delightful piece of decor, this alebrije cricket statuette is painted in bright shades of green. 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.

Carved by hand from copal wood, this wonderful alebrije is from Gerardo and Teresa Ojeda in Mexico. The folk art form originated in Oaxaca but has become popular throughout the country and beyond. The deer statuette is meticulously painted by hand in orange and brown.

Carved by hand from copal wood, this wonderful alebrije is from Gerardo and Teresa Ojeda in Mexico. The folk art form originated in Oaxaca but has become popular throughout the country and beyond. The deer statuette is meticulously painted by hand in bright lime green.

Carved by hand from copal wood, this magnificent jaguar alebrije sculpture is carefully hand-painted in meticulous detail. The statuette from Esteban Hernandez in Mexico is an excellent example of the Oaxacan folk art.

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.

This stunning alebrije sculpture is the original work of Esteban Hernandez in Mexico. Carved by hand from copal wood, the statuette is painted in meticulous detail with elaborate patterns and bold colors.

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.

Preserving an art form unique to Oaxaca, artisans Jesus and Roxana Hernandez craft this amazing alebrije sculpture of an armadillo. The statuette is carved by hand from copal wood and painted with myriad motifs in vibrant colors. The sculpture makes a great addition to any space. Small parts are separated for shipping to protect from breakage.

Alebrijes are a fairly recent Mexican art form, attributed to Pedro Linares. Unconscious due to illness in 1936, he was presumed near death and yet his dreams were extremely vivid. He tells of a place where all was peaceful and quiet until all of a sudden there appeared a lion with an eagle's head, a rooster with bull's horns and a donkey with butterfly wings. They kept screeching "alebrije, alebrije!" and Pedro began running away. He encountered a man who told him it was not yet his time to be there are and he should continue running towards the exit. In this dream Pedro climbed out of a window and regained consciousness.