Gifts of wood art from Mexico, Bali, Java and Thailand.

Alebrijes are intricately carved wooden sculptures made by the native Oaxaqueño craftsmen of Oaxaca (see the detail in a larger alebrijes picture here). The magical alebrijes figures are carved from the wood of the copal or copillo tree. Alebrijes combine features of real and mythical animals and are inspired by dreams and folklore. These whimsical creatures are painstakingly hand-sanded and hand-painted in bright native colors and exciting motifs. The wood carving techniques and artistic capacity of the Oaxacans is legendary, honed over hundreds of generations. The beautiful deer and jaguar carvings come from a village in the mountains of Oaxaca and are signed by the artists. They are highly collectible pieces and in mint condition. You can be guaranteed that a fair portion of the money earned from the sale of these pieces will be put back into the economy of the Zapotec peoples.