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New Arrivals $10 and Under |
Alebrijes are brightly colored Mexican folk art wood sculptures of fantastical animal like creatures. They originated in the workshops of Pedro Linares, who upon falling seriously ill for a few days had ghastly nightmares depicting psychedelic creatures. Inspired by his dreams, Linares began assembling these extravagant figures out of papier-mâché. Within a short time, collectors worldwide sought his elaborate figurines. While visiting the state of Oaxaca, he took some of his pieces to share with family. Fellow artisan -and future "Great Master" Manuel Jimenez took immediate notice of the striking creatures and began hand carving them from wood making them more durable and permanent; and like Linares, quickly gained world fame. Manuel Jimenez, now deceased, is considered the founding father of Oaxacan alebrijes.
Nowadays, alebrijes are most often carved from the wood of the copal tree. It is a local tree with soft wood, easy to carve when first cut and when it dries it hardens and sands easily. Machetes are first used to give the figure an approximate shape. Then a smaller pocketknife is used to chisel the detail work. The carving process is backbreaking work; it normally takes three to four days of sitting on a low stool over the shape sculpting it -being very careful not to break it. The piece is then smoothed with sandpaper. Carvings from a single piece of wood are considered of a much higher quality and value than those assembled from multiple parts, as they require a level of expertise that not all artisans possess. Occasionally, tails and ears are fabricated separately and then affixed with glue. The wood sculptures are then hand painted with acrylics of brilliant contrasting colors. The painting process is as involved as the sculpting one. Meticulous details are sketched on the figure, some of them being very minute; each artist depicting his own style. The final step for some of the pieces is to affix whiskers, manes or even mustaches on the figures. These are generally made of ixtle fibers, a type of dried cactus fiber. Of all the examples of folk art found in Mexico, probably no one boasts more fantasy and artistic freedom than the Oaxacan alebrijes. |
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