Oaxacan Alebrije Large Lizard Iguana Copal Wood Carving Multicolor Folk Art

Oaxacan Alebrije Wood Carving Made In Mexico Hand Carved Hand Painted Gorgeous Large Lizard Iguana Figurine Beautiful Bright Colors With Intricate Detail Piece Is 2.5 Inches Tall X 10 Inches In Length x 6.5 Inches Wide Artist - Matiaz Family Piece Is Carved From One Piece Of Wood New - Never Displayed Piece. Piece will be tissue and bubble wrapped, then put into box with additional packing materials for very safe shipping to the piece new home and owner. Oaxacan (pronounced Wa-Haw-Ken) wood carvings are whimsical, and enchanting are 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 from the hills surrounding the Oaxacan Valley using machetes and pocketknives. 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 movement and humor, Oaxacan wood carving is an authentic folk art that knows only the boundaries of the imaginations of the carvers, for whom myth and magic are a major part of their daily life. Each carving is an original work of art, and no two pieces are identical.