Oaxacan wood handicrafts are hand carved by skilled artisans

Oaxacan Wood carvings and wood based handicrafts

There are several handicrafts in Oaxaca that are made from wood the most notable of which are the alebrijes. These strange wooden animal carvings have quite captured the imaginations of Oaxaca’s visitors. There are also carved wooden masks, wooden toys like spinning tops, and wooden baskets. Also in this category is included palma (palm), which is dyed and woven into bags and other useful objects (Though this is tenouosly wood, it is the best category fit available on the site at the time of writing).

Alebrijes

Alebijes are fantastic animal that are carved from copal wood and painted in bright, attention grabbing colours. They famously originate from the village of San Antonio Arrazola near Xoxocotlán, though many alebrijes are also produced in San Martin Tilcajete. The great thing about alebrijes is that you can take them apart if you want to take them back as a souvenir.

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Baskets

Hand-woven baskets are common place in Oaxaca’s markets and vary is their degree of finesse. Some are obviously meant to be workhorses and nothing more whilst others combine practicality with intricate decoration and style, as one would expect the price varies accordingly. Unfortunately the only practical way of getting these beautiful baskets home is to post them to yourself.

Find out more about Baskets

Palm Leaf

Oaxaca’s markets are abundant in woven palm leaf products and range from items of practical use such as hats and bags to knick-knacks for souvenirs. The process of palm weaving is associated with the Mixteca region but nowadays the practice is common in many areas of Oaxaca.

Find out more about Palm Leaf