Novica Handmade Vibrant Camel Wood Alebrije Figurine

Ears perked in a surprised expression, a vibrant camel is carved of copal wood in this folk art alebrije figurine from Mexico. Artisan duo Zeny and Reyna create the alebrije, hand-painting the camel with intricate designs in a variety of colors. The tail is removable. Alebrijes are a fairly recent Mexican art form, attributed to Pedro Linares. Unconscious due to illness in 1936, he was presumed near death and yet his dreams were extremely vivid. He tells of a place where all was peaceful and quiet until all of a sudden there appeared a lion with an eagle's head, a rooster with bull's horns and a donkey with butterfly wings. They kept screeching "alebrije, alebrije!"" and Pedro began running away. He encountered a man who told him it was not yet his time to be there are and he should continue running towards the exit. In this dream Pedro climbed out of a window and regained consciousness. Product Features: Dimension: 5"" H x 1.7"" W x 4.3"" D Weight: 0.13 Color: Multi Material: Copal wood Some assembly required Hand-crafted item -- color, size and/or motif may vary slightly Made In Mexico Story Behind the art: Hola! We're Zeny Fuentes and Reyna Piña, we are married and we're from a small town in Oaxaca, says Zeny by way of introduction. We both come from families dedicated to carving and painting wood in a style known as alebrije. We studied different things too, but what we really like to do is crafting alebrijes and continue with our families' traditions. I still recall the first piece I ever carved. It was a duck and it got sent to the Museum of Light in San Antonio! Since then I've had the good fortune to exhibit my work in different museums and galleries in the U.S. - the first one was in Arizona when I was only 14 years old. The government of Oaxaca and the Tourist Ministry have both recognized our work as and named us master wood artisans and for promoting this cultural art form across the borders. In 2012, we received an award during Mexico's National Exhibition of Artesanias (ENART) for our sculpture 'The Wild Bull of the Sun and Day.' We love spending our free time in the nearby fields and rivers and admiring nature while sitting atop a mountain or hill. This is reflected in the work that we do, which is special and authentic. Our inspiration comes from life's essential elements: the sun, the moon, the wind, water and fire, as well as the main symbols of our Zapotec culture. They are related to animals, flowers, insects, the cycle of life, and time. An event that had a big effect on us was when we were invited to teach our work to children with different capabilities in a school in Michigan. Among them was a boy who would not obey, wouldn't eat and wouldn't pay attention. Regardless, we began to teach and I started carving a log of wood into a bear, and this kid was amazed by the magic of transforming wood into an animal. I caught his attention and I helped him make a sponge from a block of floral foam. When he was finished, he looked quite content with himself. His mother later told us that, when he got home, he was in a very happy mood. He ate, and then drew a picture of me, calling me 'art boy.' Apparently the experience contributed to him coming out of his depression. When she told us this, we felt a great sense of satisfaction. We had no idea how much we could help someone - a child - through our art. We Look upon Novica as a door that opens the world where Reyna and I can show people our work. The handmade touch of artisan skill creates variations in color, size and design. If buying two of the same item, slight differences should be expected. Note: Color discrepancies may occur between this product and your computer screen. Imported"