Mammal Carvings

Oaxacan Wood Carvings

Hand-carved and then painted in cheerful colors, these alebrije carvings are the most sought-after folk art in Mexico. Each finely-crafted sculpture reflects its maker’s talent and imagination. We buy our figurines directly from carvers living in villages of the Oaxaca valley. Most are signed by the artists. In most wood-carving families, the husband does the carving and whittling, children sand the figurines to a smooth finish, and it is often the wives who paint the finely-detailed patterns. The realm of Oaxacan woodcarving reflects the best of Mexico’s wonderful, “made-by-hand” artistic traditions.