Alebrijes are brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures of fantastical creatures.

The first alebrijes, as well as the name itself, are attributed to Pedro Linares, an artisan from México City, who specialized in making figures from cartonería, an ancient and widespread papercraft often confused with paper-mâché. 

When he was 30 years old, Linares fell ill with a high fever, which caused him to hallucinate. In his fever dreams, he was in a forest with rocks and clouds, many of which turned into wild, unnaturally colored creatures, frequently featuring wings, horns, tails, fierce teeth, and bulging eyes. He heard a crowd of voices repeating the nonsense word "Alebrije." After he recovered, he began re-creating the creatures he'd seen, using paper-mâché and cardboard. Eventually, he came to the attention of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, who began commissioning more alebrijes. 

Linares demonstrated his designs on family visits to Oaxaca, and artisans there quickly took up the tradition but began to carve them in a local wood called Copal. This type of wood is said to have magical properties.

The descendants of Pedro Linares carry on the tradition of making alebrijes and other figures from cardboard and paper-mâché. Their customers have included the Rolling Stones, David Copperfield, and filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. 

The craft has become part of Mexico's folk art repertoire, and no two alebrijes are precisely alike. 

The annual Monumental Alebrije Parade has been sponsored by the Museo de Arte Popular in Mexico City since 2007. In 2022, over 200 Alebrije were made from a mixture of paper mache, cardboard, wire, and wood to walk in the parade.

The perfect gift for wooden jigsaw puzzlers and fans of Mexico, this traditional adult wooden jigsaw puzzle can be done time and again. Our wooden jigsaw puzzle artists have included many fantastical shaped whimsy wooden jigsaw puzzle pieces that match the theme of the image, and we have integrated them in ways that will delight and surprise you as you put the wooden jigsaw puzzle together.

• Includes a bonus poster to guide assembly
• Irregular Edge for a Little More Challenge
• Number of Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces: 450
• Completed Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle Size: 16” X 10.5”
• Artist: Miguel Sobreira
• Serial #: NP23-450-622
• Wood Thickness: 4mm
• Cut Style: Victorian
• Difficulty: Level 3
• Made in the USA
• Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle