Alebrijes

There are many different types of folk art in the state of Oaxaca -- rugs ("tapetes"), black pottery, green pottery, baskets, tin art. Each pueblo has its own speciality. Alebrijes -- brightly painted wooden figures -- are among the most recent additions to the Oaxacan folk art tradition. According to the May 1991 Smithsonian article that was included in one of our wedding cards, artists have only been making them since the 1950s. The subject matter can be pretty much anything. Animals are quite popular. Back in SF, we have an armadillo, a turkey and a porcupine. I found one at an artisan stand the other day that I had to have. Check it out:


It's from Arrazola, one of the three main alebrije towns in the Oaxaca Valley (the other two being San Martin Tilcajete and La Union Tejalapan). The level of detail is pretty amazing, plus there's a picture of a bat on top. We had just learned in class that the Spanish word for "bat" -- "murcielago" -- is the only word in the language that includes all five vowels. It's like I was predestined to own this alebrije. Alex is working on his "Alas, poor Yorick" monologue so that he can entertain guests when we have dinner parties.