This marvelous alebrije sculpture is from Mexican artisans Gerardo and Teresa Ojeda. Carved from copal wood, a mother opossum carries her three joeys on her back. The sculpture is painted by hand in wonderful detail, and the baby opossums are attached to the mother with aluminum wire.

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.

Product Features: 

• Dimension: 5.5" H x 5.75" W x 3.9" D
• Weight: 0.22
• Color: Green
• Material: Copal wood, aluminum wire
• Made in Mexico

Story Behind the art:
"Hello, we are Gerardo and Teresa Ojeda.

"My wife and I were fortunate that our parents were masters of this craft. When I married my wife, she and I began to work together and share our ideas, knowledge and love for this art: the wonder of making alebrije sculptures.

"Now, instilling the enthusiasm of our work in our daughters and family is a great experience, because in addition to teaching, we never stop acquiring knowledge and new techniques. We are very proud to continue this family tradition, and are willing to put all our effort, dedication and life into making these handicrafts.

"Copal wood is the main material for the elaboration of alebrijes. We use various tools such as machetes, knives, gouges, sandpaper, acrylic paints and brushes. Wood carving requires patience and care to avoid accidents with the machetes, knives and gouges. During the elaboration, my wife dedicates herself to the carving of the piece and its decoration. Our nephews sand the pieces, and my daughters have begun to acquire mastery in the "anchoring" technique, which consists of polishing the piece for a better finish.

"We want to capture the love for our culture, the beauty of nature through its colors and convey a story in each piece, accompanied by our feelings and dreams. In general, I like to make small pieces. They take time and require more precision, but the result is amazing, unexpected. More elaborate animals, such as the opossums, are challenging.

"Finally, we want to support our community. As artisans, we participate in the reforestation of copal wood, which they carry out every year. I have been fortunate to exhibit my work. Today, I am very proud of everything we have achieved."

The handmade touch of artisan skill creates variations in color, size and design. If buying two of the same item, slight differences should be expected. Note: Color discrepancies may occur between this product and your computer screen.

Imported