Juarez Mexico Travel Guide
Art Samples - Alebrejes Wood Carvings
A couple of notes of caution before you think about buying one of these sculptures, however. Their wings, tongues, and other parts come free from the sculptures and are often sharp, thus dangerous to young children. It is also possible the artist used a paint containing toxins which could be harmful to children should they put parts of the sculptures in their mouths. Keep them out of the reach of children.
If you wish to know more about these imaginative sculptures, using the keyword “alebrijes” in any major Internet search engine will turn up a number of good web sites which feature them.
For a real eye-opener regarding price, take a look at the Milagros Gallery’s on-line store at www.oaxacan-art.com. This business, located in New Hope, PA, is able to command hundreds and hundreds of dollars for the same quality pieces you can obtain for 1/10 the price at the City Market in Juarez Mexico.
Another interesting site is the family web site of Pedro Linarez Lopez, who claims to be the original Alebrijes artist (a claim which is hotly contested, by the way). There are some truly great photos on this site, and the story is told of how the idea for the carvings came to Pedro Lopez in a dream he had while sick at the age of 30.
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