Armando Jimenez, grandson of Don Manuel Jiménez Ramírez, the founder of the Oaxacan alebrije tradition, carves and paints in San Antonio Arrazola, the village where it all began. This baby chameleon fits in the palm of your hand. Mid-stride, head turned to look right at you. The body is soft yellow with a bright pink saddle patch dotted in lighter pink. The tail, the showpiece of any chameleon, curls up and over itself in a perfect loop, yellow with blue and green oval markings. The chameleon is one of the twenty animals of the Zapotec toná calendar, a spirit guardian assigned at birth. An animal that changes color, sees in two directions at once, and moves with complete patience. A small, joyful piece from the family who started the tradition.
