By Julie Etra—

This whimsical and intricately painted form of wood sculpture is unique to the state of Oaxaca, and more precisely to the Valley of Oaxaca, where it originated. Primarily animals, the fantastical objects can include hummingbirds, coyotes, jaguars, unicorns, rabbits, raccoons, dinosaurs—well, you name it.

Origins

Last winter, while in Oaxaca City, I had the dumb luck to stumble upon a special, temporary exhibit of alebrijes at the museum in the Church of Santo Domingo.

The art form’s origin is relatively recent. In Mexico City in 1936, artisan Pedro Linares developed a high fever and accompanying nightmares that included imaginary animal-like monsters shouting the word “alebrijes.” Upon awakening and recovering, he recalled the creatures from his dreams and began creating them using cardboard and paper (aka papier-mâché, or a version thereof).

Manuel Jiménez Ramírez took the original concept of the cardboard figures created by Linares and transformed it using wood from copal trees native to the region. Jiménez Ramírez, an Oaxaqueño, was from San Antonio Arrazola, a community on the outskirts of Oaxaca City.

The original location of Jiménez Ramírez’s workshop is still active and run by his family successors, with the men primarily preparing the wood and doing the heavier work of sculpting, and the women pursuing the painstaking, patient and detailed work of painting the figures.

Lucky me, I was the only visitor on a sunny Saturday in February 2026 and received a very personal tour of the family facility, complete with a pictorial history, workshop, gallery, cats and dogs, various family members, and a garden where I had a chance to ask one of Jiménez Ramírez’s sons a few questions.

The Wood

The wood is soft and malleable and comes from trees in the genus Bursera (commonly known as copal). This group of trees is common in the tropical dry forests of coastal Oaxaca and produces fruit on which a variety of birds and mammals feed.

There are more than 100 species distributed throughout the Americas, with many found in Mexico, particularly in the states of Guerrero, Michoacán and Oaxaca. I have identified five species in our area, but the botanical inventory Flora de la Costa de Oaxaca, México: Lista Florística de la Región de Zimatán lists 11.

These trees are common in our forests, with one recognizable species being Bursera fagaroides, known locally by various common names and recognizable by its peeling bark.

The Jiménez Ramírez family explained that not all species of Bursera are suitable for carving and that Bursera tecomaca is one they prefer. After a little research, I found that copal resin, rather than the wood itself, also has uses as a preservative and is commonly burned as incense.

Other species of Bursera used for sculpting include:
Bursera glabrifolia: Commonly called copalillo, this is a preferred wood due to its softness and lightness.
Bursera bipinnata: This species is known as copal santo or copal blanco.
Bursera copallifera: This species is commonly known as copal ancho.

Jiménez Ramírez also worked with other woods, including zompantle (aka colorín, Erythrina coralloides), palo de águila and cedar. The first two were collected locally, while he purchased the latter from vendors in Valle Nacional and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

Regulation

As one of Jiménez Ramírez’s sons explained to me, artisans and communities play a role in managing the supply of wood to avoid overexploiting the resource. Wood may be sourced from local forests, communal lands or private initiatives.

There are also independent reforestation projects. Faced with the risk of overharvesting and shortages due to high demand, communities such as San Martín Tilcajete have launched conservation projects, including Palo que Habla (Sticks That Talk), to cultivate copal trees, primarily copalillo.

There have also been efforts to protect the identity and origin of Oaxacan alebrije handicrafts. Such protections, however, are distinct from the rules governing the harvesting and sale of wood.

Given the variation in figures available at tourist destinations, I don’t know how consistently these protections are enforced.

Jiménez Ramírez obtained his wood from vendors in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and Valle Nacional, as well as locally.

Creating the Figures

Tools used for carving the green wood are typically quite basic, consisting of knives and machetes. Wood is selected for its shape and its correspondence to the animal or figure being created, which often includes delicate appendages such as ears, spines and tails. These are inserted or pegged into the main body of the sculpture and can be conveniently removed for transport.

Commercial enamel paints were initially used, but these days, once the piece has dried and hardened, a coat of white base paint is often applied to enhance the brilliance of acrylic or vinyl paints. Tiny dots, lines, symmetrical and asymmetrical patterns, and even fibers sometimes adorn the sculptures.

Where to Shop

Since the early days, dozens of sculptors have continued developing the art form, with varying degrees of complexity.

I am told that very elaborate (and expensive) pieces can be found in San Martín Tilcajete, south of Oaxaca City, where there are workshops and galleries. Street vendors generally offer simpler carvings and a seemingly endless supply of hummingbirds.

Several stores in Huatulco offer high-quality pieces if you want to shop locally, as do shops in Oaxaca City.

The small but lovely Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca in Santa María Coyotepec, south of Oaxaca City, also had some excellent pieces in its museum store. It is worth a visit.

Since I have not been to San Martín Tilcajete, I can’t compare it with San Antonio Arrazola, which I thoroughly enjoyed and where I purchased an outstanding sitting coyote.

Julie Etra is a vegetation restoration
specialist and botanist.