Pale Horse Galleries

Art of the Indians, or Indigenous peoples, of Mexico -- the Zapotec, Mixtec, Olmec, Maya, Aztec (Mexicas), Yaqui and Apache. One might refer to some of the pieces pictured here as "crafts". One would be wrong. The work that you will see represents these peoples' view of their world and everything in it. The making and selling of this art is these peoples' only means of supporting their families. It is all that they know how to do. As you will see, they do it very well.

Oaxaca Pale Horse Galleries art crafts gifts and collectibles from Mexican indigenous artists and artisans alebrijes wood carvings ceramics textiles http://palehorsegalleries.vstore.ca/

Saturday, April 22, 2006

ALEBRIJES


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Please Scroll Down For Updates - updated June 11, 2006.
If you are interested in purchasing any individual pieces that you see below, as art, as gifts, or as collectibles, please send me an email and we'll see what can be arranged or you may visit my online store at Pale Horse Galleries Vstore. Any purchases you might care to make will be paid through PayPal. Shipping and insurance are included in the purchase price. Fine artwork enters the US duty free.
Alebrijes (all lay BREE hays) were first created in paper mache in Mexico City by an artist named Pedro Linares. Linares was an artist of some note who worked with both Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Pedro had become very ill with some type of gastro intestinal problem and was near death. He went into a coma and began to hallucinate. Pedro later recalled his hallucinations as dreams.

In these dreams he saw an astounding and frightening variety of strange animals. They had features that he did not recognise and were of colors that he had never seen before. He saw lizards with wings (we might call them dragons), animals with human heads and humans with animal heads. He saw some animals that he recognized, like jaguars, peacocks, antelope, owls, eagles and others but even they were strangely colored, like no animals Pedro had ever seen before. These animals, while calling out to him, "Alebrijes, alebrijes," led him down a corridor, at the end of which was a small window. Pedro Linares was able, in his dream, to crawl through the window and, with that, he awoke from his coma and was able to fully recover from his illness.

He began to tell others about his strange dreams and was encouraged by his family to attempt to recreate what he had seen. He used paper mache to begin to recreate the strange menagerie. His wife painted the figures according to Pedro's instructions. Linares died in 1992 but his family continues to produce the Alebrijes in Mexico City. However, Zapotec/Mixtec artists in two villages in the state of Oaxaca, using a native wood called Copal, now create alebrijes of a more durable and lasting nature than paper mache.

The art of conceiving, carving and painting alebrijes figures is, therefore, relatively recent. However, the indigenous peoples of Mexico have a tradition dating back to pre-Columbian times of a love for bright colors as well as for fantastical animals and monsters and, one might say, for the macabre. These sometimes frightening looking creatures are considered good luck. In fact, many indigenous families have an alebrije creature, usually a winged lizard, or dragon, if you prefer, in their homes to help ward off evil.

There are two villages in the state of Oaxaca from whence come the very finest examples of hand carved and hand decorated wooden alebrijes that can be found today. Arrazola (are rah SO lah) and San Martí­n (mar TEEN) de Tilcajete (teel kah HAY tay). All of the artists pictured below and their work are from one of these two Zapotec/Mixtec villages.

Pale Horse Galleries art crafts gifts and collectibles from Mexican indigenous artists and artisans alebrijes wood carvings ceramics textiles Oaxaca
Collage of Alebrijes from various net sources. Click for a larger view.


Oaxaca Pale Horse Galleries art crafts gifts and collectibles from Mexican indigenous artists and artisans alebrijes wood carvings ceramics textiles http://palehorsegalleries.vstore.ca/
Alebrijes in the central square of Arrazola, Oaxaca. Click for larger view.


Oaxaca Pale Horse Galleries art crafts gifts and collectibles from Mexican indigenous artists and artisans alebrijes wood carvings ceramics textiles http://palehorsegalleries.vstore.ca/
A Zapotec Indian artist's child with dragon.
$589.99
Shipping and insurance included (child not included)
Please visit the Pale Horse Galleries online store. Thanks!


Oaxaca Pale Horse Galleries art crafts gifts and collectibles from Mexican indigenous artists and artisans alebrijes wood carvings ceramics textiles http://palehorsegalleries.vstore.ca/
A peacock from an artist in Arrazola.
$699.99
Shipping and insurance included
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Oaxaca Pale Horse Galleries art crafts gifts and collectibles from Mexican indigenous artists and artisans alebrijes wood carvings ceramics textiles http://palehorsegalleries.vstore.ca/
A gorgeously detailed parrot.
$464.99
Shipping and insurance included
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Oaxaca Pale Horse Galleries art crafts gifts and collectibles from Mexican indigenous artists and artisans alebrijes wood carvings ceramics textiles http://palehorsegalleries.vstore.ca/Porcupines.
$199.99 each
Shipping and insurance included
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Click images for a
bit better view.Oaxaca Pale Horse Galleries art crafts gifts and collectibles from Mexican indigenous artists and artisans alebrijes wood carvings ceramics textiles http://palehorsegalleries.vstore.ca/










Oaxaca Pale Horse Galleries art crafts gifts and collectibles from Mexican indigenous artists and artisans alebrijes wood carvings ceramics textiles http://palehorsegalleries.vstore.ca/
Blue Antelope
$529.99
Shipping and insurance included
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Oaxaca Pale Horse Galleries art crafts gifts and collectibles from Mexican indigenous artists and artisans alebrijes wood carvings ceramics textiles http://palehorsegalleries.vstore.ca/
Giraffe on the town square in Arrazola.
$469.99
Shipping and insurance included
Please visit the Pale Horse Galleries online store. Thanks!


Oaxaca Pale Horse Galleries art crafts gifts and collectibles from Mexican indigenous artists and artisans alebrijes wood carvings ceramics textiles http://palehorsegalleries.vstore.ca/
Flying Green Dragon
$199.99
Shipping and insurance included
Please visit the Pale Horse Galleries online store. Thanks!


Oaxaca Pale Horse Galleries art crafts gifts and collectibles from Mexican indigenous artists and artisans alebrijes wood carvings ceramics textiles http://palehorsegalleries.vstore.ca/
Pegasus - one of the best I've ever seen.
$414.99
Shipping and insurance included
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THE ZAPOTECAN ARTISTS

Santiago Sosa Alebrijes
Sergio Santiago and Lucila Santiago Sosa
Arrazola Xoxocotlan, Oaxaca, México

Oaxaca Pale Horse Galleries art crafts gifts and collectibles from Mexican indigenous artists and artisans alebrijes wood carvings ceramics textiles http://palehorsegalleries.vstore.ca/

The ancient pre-Columbian Zapotecan ceremonies have all been lost to time, but the Zapotecs continued to make their art a part of their Catholic faith. Grandfather “Tito” Pascual Santiago designed and fashioned his ancestral ceremonial masks for several different occasions, the most important of which was the Day of the Dead Ceremonies which take place the first of November every year. First his son and now his grandson, Sergio, carries on his tradition of Zapotecan art, but Sergio's first love is the Alebrije.

Sergio's wife, Lucila does the painting after Sergio has created a piece of Alebrije. Sometimes they collaborate on the final look of the piece and sometimes they work independently. Sergio does not always know how his wife may decide to finish a piece of sculpture that Sergio has created.

Sergio has been carving Alebrijes since he was 12 years old. He says it took him about 10 years to really become proficient at it.

The salon of the Santiago Sosa clan is in Arrazola Xoxocotlan, Oaxaca, Mexico.

Oaxaca Pale Horse Galleries art crafts gifts and collectibles from Mexican indigenous artists and artisans alebrijes wood carvings ceramics textiles http://palehorsegalleries.vstore.ca/
Sergio Santiago


Oaxaca Pale Horse Galleries art crafts gifts and collectibles from Mexican indigenous artists and artisans alebrijes wood carvings ceramics textiles http://palehorsegalleries.vstore.ca/
Lucila


Oaxaca Pale Horse Galleries art crafts gifts and collectibles from Mexican indigenous artists and artisans alebrijes wood carvings ceramics textiles http://palehorsegalleries.vstore.ca/
Santiago Sosa - Pavo Real Mediano
$564.99
Shipping and insurance included
LxWxH = 9.8" x 44.1" x 27.2"
Please visit the Pale Horse Galleries online store. Thanks!


Oaxaca Pale Horse Galleries art crafts gifts and collectibles from Mexican indigenous artists and artisans alebrijes wood carvings ceramics textiles http://palehorsegalleries.vstore.ca/
Santiago Sosa - Iguana en Pared
$569.99
Shipping and insurance included
LxWxH = 45.3" x 25.6" x 14.2"
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Oaxaca Pale Horse Galleries art crafts gifts and collectibles from Mexican indigenous artists and artisans alebrijes wood carvings ceramics textiles http://palehorsegalleries.vstore.ca/
Santiago Sosa - Salamandra
$259.99
Shipping and insurance included
LxWxH = 23.6" x 13.8" x 11.4"
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Oaxaca Pale Horse Galleries art crafts gifts and collectibles from Mexican indigenous artists and artisans alebrijes wood carvings ceramics textiles http://palehorsegalleries.vstore.ca/
Santiago Sosa - Dragon con Cabeza de Pavo Real
$169.99
Shipping and insurance included
LxWxH = 11" x 5.9" x 16.1"
Please visit the Pale Horse Galleries online store. Thanks!


Oaxaca Pale Horse Galleries art crafts gifts and collectibles from Mexican indigenous artists and artisans alebrijes wood carvings ceramics textiles http://palehorsegalleries.vstore.ca/
Santiago Sosa - Dragon con Cabeza de Gallo
$179.99
Shipping and insurance included
LxWxH = 8.3" x 8.3" x 17.3"
Please visit the Pale Horse Galleries online store. Thanks!



Oaxaca Pale Horse Galleries art crafts gifts and collectibles from Mexican indigenous artists and artisans alebrijes wood carvings ceramics textiles http://palehorsegalleries.vstore.ca/
The Pale Horse
Please visit the Pale Horse Galleries online store. Thanks!

posted by Mark in Mexico | 1:34 PM

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