There are 20 kinds of armadillo in the world and
all of them are residents of Latin America. Called āyōtōchtli, or “turtle-rabbit” by the Aztecs, the
well-defended critters would receive the name “armadillo” from the Spanish, meaning “little armored one.”
These lovely, hand-painted alebrije figurines were crafted at the workshop of Vicente and
Brisia Hernandez in San Martín Tilcajete. San Martín Tilcajete is one of two
major centers for alebrije, an art form that has its origins in one ill
artist’s fever dream.
In 1936, Pedro Linares, an artist who specialized
in papier-mâché piñatas, masks, and Judas figurines, fell gravely ill. As his
fever soared, he began to hallucinate that he was walking in a forest. He felt
p...
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In 1936, Pedro Linares, an artist who specialized
in papier-mâché piñatas, masks, and Judas figurines, fell gravely ill. As his
fever soared, he began to hallucinate that he was walking in a forest. He felt
peaceful until the rocks, trees, and clouds started sprouting wings, horns, and
tails, morphing into brightly colored chimerical creatures that chanted the
same nonsensical word—“alebrije, alebrije”—over
and over again.
When Linares recovered, he quickly got to
reproducing the whimsical beings from his dream. The resulting papier-mâché figurines
earned the attention of various gallery owners and artists, and their
popularity soon spread throughout the country to places like Oaxaca, where they
carved them from copal wood. Today the towns of San Martín Tilcajete and La
Union Tejalapan are world-renowned centers for the art of alebrije.
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