| ALEBRÍJES (Imaginary Animals) from San Martin Tilcajete, Oaxaca Wood carving is an ancestral tradition of the Zapotec people of Oaxaca, and achieves maximum expression in the elaboration of wooden figures, which only in recent years were given the name "alebrijes"; unreal, magical figures from the imagination of the Oaxacan craftsman. The carvings represent the innovative and surreal spirit of the soul of Oaxaca, captured in their hand-crafted, hand-painted design. These talented carvers of Oaxaca create, entirely by hand, wonderful sculptures made from copal wood, whose ingenious shapes with amazing patterns and colors have captivated collectors world wide. "Alebrije" is reputed to be a word in "caló" (Caló originally defined the Spanish gypsy dialect) that means, among other translations, "fantastic" or "of fantasy". |
| & also Alambríjes Similar to the alebríjes, but created with wire and seeds |
La Casa de Los Tesoros "Rinconcitos de México" |