Standing Jaguar

Oaxacan Wood Carving

  by Moises Jimenez

Collected in 1997 

SOLD

Dimensions: 12w x 16h inches

Oaxaca is a mecca for a variety of Mexican crafts including weaving, ceramics, and painted "animalitos". Although the origins of the style can be traced back to Pre-Columbian times,  Oaxacan "animalitos"  first caught the attention of international collectors in the 1960s when Nelson Rockefeller returned to the United States with a small collection of figures purchased on a trip to Southern Mexico.  Rockefeller was an enthusiastic collector of international folk art, and his patronage of a small group of local craftspeople is Oaxaca, Mexico sparked a movement resulted in the development of one of the most recognizable forms of contemporary Mexican Folk Art.   The art form matured in the 1970s and 80s, and now there are more than 200 families carving in and around Oaxaca.

The Jimenez family is well established as one of the founding families of the Oaxacan style of woodcarving.  The family has had a major influence on the art form, and creates some of the finest Oaxacan carvings available today.  This is an excellent piece, hand carved and painted by Moises Jimenez, grandson of Manuel Jimenez, considered by many to be the father of the style.  The Jaguar's arched back, elegant legs, swooping neck, and twisting tail are all dependant on the original form of the wood chosen to create the piece.  The blending of these natural forms create a wonderful dynamic quality that is full of energy and visually exciting.  

To learn more about Oaxacan Woodcarving read...

The Magic in the Trees