Saving Copal Trees in Oaxaca — Palo Que Habla Bioconservation Project
Copal is the tree used to carve the wooden figures we call alebrijes in Oaxaca. It is a disappearing resource. Thanks to Jacobo and Maria Angeles in San Martin Tilcajete, where many of the region’s alebrijes are made, there is a bioconservation project called Palo Que Habla to replant copal trees for the next generation […]
Cows, Pigs, Calaveras: Carved Wood Figures of Placido Santiago Cruz
This week I was in Oaxaca city for two days visiting with silversmiths Brigitte Huet and Ivan Campant! I went with them to present their work at Susanna Trilling’s Seasons of My Heart Cooking School in San Lorenzo Cacaotepec. This mecca of the culinary arts is located about 40 minutes from the city in the […]
Alebrijes: In Search of the Masters
The three great wood carving villages are San Martin Tilcajete, Arrazola and La Union. I’ve written about finding La Union in another post. And, of course, you can find wonderful alebrijes in excellent galleries along Alcala, such as La Mano Magica, or tucked around the corner and across the street from Santo Domingo, at Tally […]