Day 12: The Alebrijes and "Animalitos" of Oaxaca, Mexico. Around the World in 80 Days.

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Day 12: The Alebrijes and "Animalitos" of Oaxaca, Mexico.

Destination: Oaxaca, Mexico

Oaxaca is a complex but beautiful city whose majestic churches, famous archeological sites, delectable food and refined plazas have deservedly earned it a Unesco World Heritage badge. This name comes from the Nahuatl word "Huaxyacac", which refers to a tree called a "guaje" (Leucaena Leucoephala) found around the capital city. The name was originally applied to the Valley of Oaxaca by Nahuatl-speaking Aztecs.

Temperatures in Oaxaca City vary from a low of 42°F to a high of 93°F. Interestingly the cool season lasts from June through January while the hot season lasts only from March to May. Oaxaca's elevation is 5138 feet.

The State of Oaxaca and Oaxaca City are located in southwestern Mexico. Oaxaca is bordered by the states of Guerrero to the west, Puebla to the northwest, Veracruz to the north, and Chipas to the east. The southern edge of Oaxaca is mainly Pacific Ocean coastline. The state is well known for its indigenous peoples and their rich cultures.

Fun Facts:

The countryside and valleys around Oaxaca City are dotted with small villages that each specialize in a particular art form such as hand painted alebrijes, black or green pottery, Zapotec weavings and Mezcal (the national spirit). Oaxaca

is often called Land of the Seven Moles since each of the state's 7 regions produces a different variation of the mole sauce, the national dish of Mexico.

Also: In December, during the Dia de los Rabanos (Day of the Radishes), the Governor of Oaxaca is the judge of a contest of nativity scenes carved from radishes.

Art Form: The Alebrijes and "Animalitos"

of Oaxaca, Mexico

Oaxacan (pronounced Wa-Haw-Ken) painted wood carvings called alebrijes

(ah-leh-BREE-hess) are whimsical and enchanting art figures that have captivated collectors and enthusiasts worldwide. These imaginative and brilliantly colored figures are hand-carved and painted in tiny villages in the state of Oaxaca, home of the Zapotec Indians in Southern Mexico.

Each figure is handmade from copal wood gathered from the hills surrounding the Oaxacan Valley using machetes and pocket knives. Artists carve the basic shape of a figure in a few days, then hand-sand and meticulously paint each piece in great detail. It can take up to a full week to complete one figure.

The artists use fantasy and

imagination in their painting to make the animals appear more alive. Full of color and humor, Oaxacan wood carving is an authentic folk art created by artists for whom myth and magic are a major part of their daily life. Each carving is an original artwork and no two pieces are identical.

The origin of alebrijes began in the 1930s. Pedro Linares, who lived in Mexico City, fell very ill and while unconscious dreamed of

a strange place resembling a forest. There, he saw trees, animals, rocks, clouds that suddenly turned into something strange, and some kinds of unknown animals. He saw a donkey with butterfly wings, a rooster with bull horns, a lion with an eagle head, and all of them were shouting one word, "Alebrijes". Upon recovery, he began recreating the creatures he saw in cardboard and paper mache and called them alebrijes.

Artisans from Oaxaca learned of the paper mache

figures when Linares shared his designs on family visits to Oaxaca. Manuel Jimenez and others adapted the paper mache designs and began carving and painting small animals and fantastic creatures out of copal; this type of wood is said to be magical. Manuel Jimenez's family continue to carve and paint various alebrijes and "animalitos" to this day. Other artists have also adopted the art form creating their own versions of the stylized animal figures. Entire families and villages have dedicated themselves to honing their woodcarving skills.

wood carving & painting of alebrijes - Oaxaca, Mexico

EarthView, Inc. founded in 1994 is a family-owned business that supports artisans from Oaxaca Mexico. They are

dedicated to environmental and social issues. All of their wood is gathered with government-issued permits. They consistently pay their artists well above average with fair prices for their artwork. Their business helps support numerous families, and in some cases entire villages.

Images courtesy of EarthView, Inc.

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"Collect" at least 12 different "country" stamps during the first 20 days of our around-the-world trip to be entered into the drawing for a $25 gift card.

At the end of our 80-day Around the World

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Thanks for traveling with us today.

Where to next? Stay tuned!

My attachment to "animalitos" and alebrijes goes back to the late 80's. Early in our store's

existence I met Rocky Behr from Pasadena who owned an amazing store full of Mexican folk art including wood carvings. We purchased some for our store and several for our own collection. In 1991, Rocky contacted me about possibly hosting a young 16-year-old carver named Zenen (Zeni) Fuentes from San Martin Tilcajete. Zeni ended up living with our family for 3 weeks while he carved each day in our store. He was already an accomplished carver at age 16. He had learned from his father and grandfather. Many years later (perhaps 2006), as I was wandering the Sante Fe Folk Art Market, I heard, "Janita!" from across the way. It was Zeni. A grown up Zeni. Still carving and painting beautiful animals. There were definitely hugs that day.

Our online store continues to grow each day during our travels. There are wonderful possibilities for Mother's Day gifts for all those mothers and mothering persons in your life. Also, if any mothers or other friends might enjoy these stories, invite them to join in. There's still room on this journey!

We THANK YOU for your continued online shopping support. YOU are an important part of what makes World's Window so special!