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What is an Oaxacan Wood Carving?

Oaxacan woodcarvings are colourful, wooden sculptures which are created by hand and made out of copal wood. These fantastic pieces of art are the result of the extraordinary expression of Mexican folk tradition. The craft involves carving while the wood is wet, and pieces may differ depending on if they are carved form the female or male copal wood tree.

Ancient History of Oaxacan Woodcarving
Contrary to popular belief, the origin of these magnificent sculptures dates back to the pre-Hispanic ancestral Zapotec civilization. The Zapotec civilization used a 20- day calendar, and each day was represented by a certain animal. In addition, each Zapotec person had a personal connection to one of these creatures and therefore exhibited its characteristics.

To name a few: the frog was associated with the characteristic of openness and honesty; the jaguar exhibited great strength and power; the coyote was gifted with intuition and watchfulness; the eagle was the master of strategy; the butterfly contained the spirit of dead warriors; and the turtle was known to be a trickster.

These totem animal carvings were also used in day to day life to encourage subsistence. Animal carvings helped to aid hunting, encourage fertility and to attract an abundant harvest.

These were also carved as small figurines, which would bring good luck and bigger figurines would be carved out for children to play with.

Recent History of Oaxacan Woodcarving
It is claimed that it was Pedro Linares (1906 – January 26, 1992), who was the first to create one of these exquisite figurines after he was taken ill. Linares was a humble man and could not afford health care. It was during the worst of his illness that he dreamed of a place outside this world, abundant with strange creatures and plants.

Despite the beauty of this strange world, Linares was overcome with desire to leave this place, and begun to run encountering an old man. The man assisted him in his escape, informing him that he should not have come just yet.

It was by passing through a small window that Linares escaped and woke up, to find himself at home. Desperate to share his experience he started to draw and make these wondrous creatures out of papier mache, which he called Alebrijes (as that is what the creatures were shouting to him during his visit to the other world).

Pedro Linares dedicated the rest of his life to making Alebrijes, to share their beauty and wonder with the world. Later his Alebrijes were adapted to the Oaxacan carving tradition of copal wood. This adaptation was pioneered by Arrazola native Manuel Jiménes, further popularizing the art.

Oaxacan Woodcarving Today
Over the past three decades, many households in Oaxaca have been able to make a living through the making and selling of these magnificent wood carvings.

Today the market is divided between very high quality pieces, sold at high prices, and cheaper versions which are less time consuming to make and are made from less costly materials than copal wood, which is difficult to obtain.

This is because securing copal wood is extremely problematic for wood carvers, as environmental authorities are trying to preserve copal trees. This has led to a black market as families relying on this craft are desperate to continue their trade. A very small number of people now control the supply of copal wood, resulting in most of the figurines being made of illegally obtained wood.

These beautiful figurines have been a way of life for many Oaxacan for centuries and it is sad to see the trade within its problematic state. However, whether made from copal wood, papier mache or cardboard, they will no doubt continue to express the magic and wonder of their ancestral roots and to capture the imagination of generations to come.

Author’s Note: The article ‘What is an Oaxacan Wood Carving” has been written by Outofstress.com expert author ‘Iva Dragostinova’. All rights reserved. If you want to reproduce this article in your ezine or blog, please contact “reprints@outofstress.com”