Saint Paul Public Schools
Multicultural Resource Center
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Oaxacan Lizard
Oaxacan Lizard
The mystery object was a close-up of an Alebrijes, Oaxacan carved and painted animals.  This one is a carving of a lizard.  Oaxacan (pronounced Wa-Haw-Ken) wood carvings are whimsical and enchanting art figures that have captivated collectors and enthusiasts worldwide. These highly imaginative and brilliantly colored figures are totally hand-carved and painted in tiny villages in the Oaxacan Valley of Southern Mexico. Many of the carvers are descendants of the legendary and renowned Zapotec Indian Tribe of Oaxaca. Each figure is handmade from Copal wood, a soft regenerative wood that grows in abundance in the hills surrounding 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 movement and humor, Oaxacan wood carving is an authentic folk art.

Click on the links below for more information about these carvings.

http://www.utexas.edu/utpress/excerpts/exchicra.html  Paper related to the economic impact of crafts in Mexico, with specific emphasis on Oaxacan carvings.

http://www.kennesaw.edu/visual_arts/STUDY_ABROAD/oaxaca/history_crafts.html Brief website about Oaxacan crafts with a link to a sixteen page pdf about oaxacan wood carving.

http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/elem/Linda-Oaxaca.htm  Elementary school level lesson plans on Oaxacan carvings.

http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/Lessons/7-alebrijes.htm Middle School level lesson plans on Oaxacan carvings.

The MRC also has a video and a few books realted to the Alebrijes.  Check them out.  Visit the Photo Gallery to see other Alebrijes in our collection.