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About
Displaying a bright purple hue with multicolored designs, an elaborate fish makes a mystical addition to your home decor with this figurine from Mexico. Pablo and Lucy Mendez, who carry on the tradition of alebrije folk art, work together to create the fish. They carve this figurine of copal wood and paint it by hand.
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 details
- Copal wood
- Signed by the artist
- Hand-crafted item -- color, size and/or motif may vary slightly
- 42 grams
- 1.48 oz
- 8.4 cm H x 9.8 cm W x 9.2 cm D
- 3.3" H x 3.9" W x 3.6" D
Meet the artist
"What we enjoy the most is how real and mythical animal shapes can emerge from a simple branch. They can be so colorful and original that they appear to have had a life on another planet."
Latest Update
"We are a young married couple who inherited the knowledge of carving and painting copal wood alebrijes. We have gradually perfected our technique, which we have passed down to our children.
"We have been working for some years with this incredible technique that we learned. In our community in Oaxaca, copal carving is a tradition for families.
"We have several goals, one of which is to teach and share this beautiful art in our workshop. And it's how we learn more.
"You have allowed us to export our alebrijes to any part of the world, permitting us to concentrate on the quality and inspiration we give each piece. This has led us to hire family members for wood carving.
"We also have copal tree plantations that have allowed us to preserve this beautiful tree that has given us so much, and that was facing the possibility of extinction."
Original Artisan Story
"We are best friends as well as husband and wife. Together, we carve Oaxaca's traditional alebrijes, fanciful and fantastical creatures and images crafted from found wood and painted by hand in bright colors. We project creativity, innovation and quality through our work. We believe it's important to be kind, honest and responsible when working, and we seek to improve our efforts day by day.
"Crafts are a pillar for the economy of many families in our community. These workshops are made up of grandparents, parents and their children. In our case, this craft has been handed down from generation to generation. Our parents and uncles taught us and we are now teaching our children so that this art doesn't die out.
"Striking out on our own has been a bit difficult because we've just started from the ground up. Our desire to get ahead has motivated us to improve our alebrijes and we feel that competition is good.
"To learn this craft, you need to be very dedicated and patient. Our greatest challenge is innovating to create new designs. Our inspiration comes from everything that surrounds us, like nature and those moments in life that can express a feeling.
"We use natural branches of copal wood but sometimes work in willow, cedar and zompantle. I shape the creatures and images. We treat the wood and, when a piece contains imperfections, we make a sawdust paste to fill in the gaps. I do the carving, treat the wood and polish it. Lucy creates the designs and paints the motifs.
"What we enjoy the most is how real and mythical animal shapes can emerge from a simple branch. They can be so colorful and original that they appear to have had a life on another planet. It's wonderful to see so many people appreciating a finished piece and to observe joy and surprise on their faces. This is very satisfying for us.
"We'd like for our workshop to grow little by little and be able to offer jobs to other families in our community. We want our work to be seen in other countries so that everyone can be aware of the art in our town."
This item was handmade in Mexico by NOVICA artisan borrowers. Kiva lenders have helped these artisans stock up on materials, buy more tools and grow their businesses.
This item qualifies for FREE SHIPPING!
- Only valid on the Normal shipping option for shipments to 48 Lower US states.
- Discounted shipping price may not be applied to previous orders.
This item ships with a free artist storycard, so you can remember who you impacted today. Customized gift messages are also available with every order.
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We want you to be 100% satified with your order, so if you are not completely happy with your item, you can return it within 60 days of receiving it.
Return instructions
We pack, ship, certify and 100% guarantee the quality of this item. Watch this video to see how.
This item is available for backorder and will ship within 2 to 4 weeks. Artists love to get backorders. Placing a backorder ensures that the artisan will do their best to create and deliver your item to our local office for shipment.
Although we cannot guarantee availability, we do expect to be able to fill the order within the timeframe indicated. But sometimes life happens - special materials may not be immediately available to the artist, or there might be some other circumstance beyond our control that could delay the shipment.
If for any reason we are unable to ship the item within the timeframe indicated, we will notify you.
This item has a special shipping flat fee which means that due to bulk, duties, or other special requirements, the item will be shipped to you via one of our special one-rate services. Shipping is only available to the United States (lower 48 States only).
Download our printable ring sizing chart to find the perfect fit!
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We refer to these items as "discounted wholesale". Such items carry a deeper wholesale discount than other items, and have greater potential to provide your business with healthier resale margins.
Triple 'Win' Pricing
Kiva Store offers triple win pricing, where YOU the consumer, Children from around the world, and Artisans all benefit.
WIN # 1 You Save!
Handmade goods from developing nations usually pass through a series of intermediaries before being purchased by retail consumers. Each of these intermediaries adds cost to the product, and that cost is passed on to the customer. The U.S. Fund for Kiva partnered with NOVICA, who works directly with artists through their regional offices in Asia, Africa and Latin America, allowing purchases from Kiva Store to go directly from the artisans to fulfilling customer orders. By skipping steps in the traditional supply chain, you can buy high quality items for less than the regular retail prices.
WIN # 2 Children Benefit!
Each item purchased from Kiva Store will benefit Kiva's programmes that provide lifesaving nutrition, medicine, education, clean water, emergency relief and more to children in need.
You can learn more about Kiva's work, on About Kiva.
WIN # 3 Artisans Profit!
Kiva Store artisans set their own prices and control their own businesses. Kiva Store offers artisans a free platform to sell their work throughout the United States.
Turn your gift-giving into an art form with our new premium gift wrapping service!
Delivering a beautiful handmade treasure, wrapped by hand in exquisite packaging will make your gifts truly unforgettable.
Above all, it's EASY! Just select the premium gift wrapping option during checkout and we do the rest. No more last minute worries about presentation - your gifts will be the best dressed every time!
Most premium gift wrap is only $3.95 - $5.95 per item.
Triple 'Win' Pricing
Kiva Store offers triple win pricing, where YOU the consumer, Children from around the world, and Artisans all benefit.
WIN # 1 You Save!
Handmade goods from developing nations usually pass through a series of intermediaries before being purchased by retail consumers. Each of these intermediaries adds cost to the product, and that cost is passed on to the customer. The U.S. Fund for Kiva partnered with NOVICA, who works directly with artists through their regional offices in Asia, Africa and Latin America, allowing purchases from Kiva Store to go directly from the artisans to fulfilling customer orders. By skipping steps in the traditional supply chain, you can buy high quality items for less than the regular retail prices.
WIN # 2 Children Benefit!
Each item purchased from Kiva Store will benefit Kiva's programmes that provide lifesaving nutrition, medicine, education, clean water, emergency relief and more to children in need.
You can learn more about Kiva's work, on About Kiva.
WIN # 3 Artisans Profit!
Kiva Store artisans set their own prices and control their own businesses. Kiva Store offers artisans a free platform to sell their work throughout the United States.