Colorful though they may be, real quetzals have nothing on this wonderful alebrije sculpture from Mexico's Teresita Gonzalez. The artisan paints the copal wood bird meticulously by hand in a rainbow of colors. Small parts are separated for shipping to protect from breakage.

The folk art tradition of alebrijes dates back to the 1930's in Mexico City. A man named Pedro Linares was taken ill, and in his fevered dreams he saw a strange land populated with curious creatures--a donkey with wings, a rooster with bull's horns, and a lion with the head of a dog. The beasts all ran at him, shouting 'alebrije! alebrije!'. Upon his recovery, Linares began recreating the fantastical creatures he had seen in his dream. The art form gained popularity, and alebrijes are now made of wood as well as papier mache.

• materials: Copal wood
• Hand-crafted item -- color, size and/or motif may vary slightly
• Some assembly required
• Signed by the artist