Colorful Hand Carved and Painted Alebrije Owl Sculpture, "Mystical Owl"
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Circular motifs echo the shape of an owl's wide eyes in a fanciful and mystical bird portrait. On the back, the patterns are abstract and amorphous — the substance of visions. By Manuel Cruz, this sculpture is an alebrije. The petite image is carved by hand of copal wood in the style of Oaxaca and meticulously painted by hand with tiny brushes. The finer details are created using a maguey thorn instead of a brush.
The alebrije tradition originated with Mexico City artisan Pedro Linares (1906-1992). When he was 30, he became ill and fell into a coma. While he was unconscious, he dreamed he was caught between the land of the living and the dead, a place populated with creatures whose body parts belonged to different animals. The beings repeatedly cried, "Alebrije!" When he was well, Linares recreated these fanciful figures in papier mache. His work became famous and inspired artisans in the state of Oaxaca, who began crafting alebrijes of wood.
The wood branch dictates the final form, so size and shapes can vary slightly. Thus, each alebrije is an authentic work of Mexican folk art.
- 0.14 kgs
- 0.3 lbs
- 11 cm H x 7 cm W x 8 cm D
- 4.3" H x 2.8" W x 3.1" D
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“I can't remember a single day when I didn't help my parents paint the pieces; it was precisely how I learned to love this art and its details."
“My name is Manuel Cruz; I was born in San Agustín de las Juntas, in the state of Oaxaca. Since I was very young I received from my parents a... read more