How was paper mache discovered and developed in Mexico?

Paper mache has its roots in China, with the inventors of paper itself. It then became popular in Europe, and it was through the Spaniards that paper mache entered Mexico. In Mexico, cartoneria or paper-mache sculptures are a traditional craft that goes back to the colonial period when the Spanish brought the art overseas. Shop a range of antique and modern paper mache on 1stDibs.

Paper Mache Owl

Sergio Bustamante Owl Sculpture

Mexican Modern Sculpture

Owl Folk Art

Brass and Hand Painted Paper Mache Owl Sculpture, Sergio Bustamante, 1970's

$4,750

H 31 in W 10.5 in D 10.5 in

Brass and Hand Painted Paper Mache Owl Sculpture, Sergio Bustamante, 1970's

By Sergio Bustamante

Located in Culver City, CA

This striking owl beautifully synthesizes everything Bustamante is celebrated for: a brutalist brass body composed of hand-applied brass feather plates, paired with a hand painted, v...

Category

Vintage 1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures

Materials

Brass

Pair of 20th Century Wooden Paper Mache Owl Toy Molds From Burma

$850 / set

H 13 in Dm 8 in

Pair of 20th Century Wooden Paper Mache Owl Toy Molds From Burma

Located in Wainscott, NY

A sculptural pair of hand-carved wooden molds from Burma (Myanmar), originally used in the creation of paper mache objects. Each piece is fashioned from a single block of hardwood wi...

Category

20th Century Burmese Animal Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Mexican Sermel Papier Mâché Small Owl Sculpture

$195

H 6 in W 3 in D 2 in

Mexican Sermel Papier Mâché Small Owl Sculpture

By Sergio Bustamante

Located in Stamford, CT

Papier mâché small owl by Sermel. Hand painted design with overall areas of wear and minimal paint loss. Signed on the underside.

Category

Vintage 1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures

Materials

Paper

Recent Sales

Mid-Century Mexican Folk Art Paper Mache Owl Sculpture by Sermel

Sold

H 13 in W 20 in D 10 in

Mid-Century Mexican Folk Art Paper Mache Owl Sculpture by Sermel

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Mid-Century Mexican Folk Art paper maché owl sculpture by Sermel.

Category

Vintage 1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Paper

Robert Stimban Stylized White Paper Mache Owl

Sold

H 21 in W 13 in D 15 in

Robert Stimban Stylized White Paper Mache Owl

Located in Dallas, TX

The Brendan Bass Estate Collection pays homage to the beauty of vintage and antique pieces, each artfully concealing endless stories collected through the generations in which they ...

Category

20th Century Organic Modern Animal Sculptures

Materials

Paper

Owl Paper Mache Molds

Sold

H 22 in W 15.5 in D 17.5 in

Owl Paper Mache Molds

Located in Chicago, IL

These Burmese wooden owl molds were once covered in paper mache to fabricate colorful owl toys for children.

Category

Vintage 1940s Burmese Sculptures

Materials

Wood

American Papier Mâché Owl

Sold

H 13.75 in W 9.75 in D 5.75 in

American Papier Mâché Owl

Located in Highwood, IL

An unusual American papier mâché owl, from around the turn of the century that was probably used outdoors to scare small birds away from the garden. Not is perfect condition, but ver...

Category

Antique Early 1900s American Country Garden Ornaments

Materials

Paper

Mexican Sermel Papier Mâché Owl Sculpture

Sold

H 14 in W 20 in D 10 in

Mexican Sermel Papier Mâché Owl Sculpture

By Sergio Bustamante

Located in Stamford, CT

Papier mâché owl by Sermel. Hand painted design with overall areas of wear and minimal paint loss. Signed on the underside.

Category

Vintage 1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures

Materials

Paper

Early 20thC Painted Papier-Mâché Scarecrow Owl, c.1900-20

Sold

H 8.75 in W 4.5 in D 4 in

Early 20thC Painted Papier-Mâché Scarecrow Owl, c.1900-20

Located in Bedford, Bedfordshire

The unique and most certainly charming hand painted decoy model of a stylised barn owl, acting as a scarecrow or bid scarer, the whole in papier-mâché with glass eyes and hollow form...

Category

Early 20th Century English Edwardian Decoys

Materials

Paper

People Also Browsed

Fernand LégerFernand Leger, Untitled, from Circus, 1950, 1950

$1,996Sale Price|20% Off

H 16.63 in W 12.69 in

Fernand Leger, Untitled, from Circus, 1950

By Fernand Léger

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite lithograph by Fernand Leger (1881–1955), titled Sans titre (Untitled), from the album Cirque, Lithographies Originales (Circus, Original Lithographs), originates from ...

Category

1950s Cubist Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Large Vintage Murano Glass Fish, Italy, 1970s

$180Sale Price|59% Off

H 9.45 in W 9.85 in D 3.94 in

Large Vintage Murano Glass Fish, Italy, 1970s

Located in Palermo, IT

Large Vintage Murano Glass Fish, Italy, 1970s It has always belonged to my family, purchased by my grandparents in Murano. Perfectly preserved, intact, it has small signs of aging.

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Animal Sculptures

Materials

Murano Glass

1960s Woven Wicker Single Headboard Rattan Midcentury Rustic Provence

$1,641

H 34.45 in W 66.54 in D 13.78 in

1960s Woven Wicker Single Headboard Rattan Midcentury Rustic Provence

Located in London, GB

A single woven wicker headboard from Provence, with integrated circular bedside tables. French, c. 1960s. Between bedsides 100cm.

Category

Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames

Materials

Wicker

Fern Fossil Specimen, Extinct Neuropteris species likely, 300 million years old

$380Sale Price|24% Off

H 4 in W 5.75 in D 1 in

Fern Fossil Specimen, Extinct Neuropteris species likely, 300 million years old

Located in Warrenton, OR

Fern Fossil Specimen, Extinct Neuropteris species likely, 300 million years old. Discovered in PA. ***NOTE: Our 1stDibs store is closing in May and items will not be available therea...

Category

Antique 15th Century and Earlier American Prehistoric Natural Specimens

Materials

Organic Material

Monumental Sergio Bustamante 'Sol Eclipse' Papier Mâché Wall Sculpture, 1997

$2,832

H 37.41 in W 47.25 in D 9.85 in

Monumental Sergio Bustamante 'Sol Eclipse' Papier Mâché Wall Sculpture, 1997

By Sergio Bustamante

Located in Benalmadena, ES

Monumental wall-mounted sculpture executed in painted papier-mâché by Mexican artist Sergio Bustamante (b. 1949). Titled "Sol Eclipse" (Solar Eclipse), this large-scale composition f...

Category

1990s Mexican Post-Modern Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Paper

Rare Antique 102 piece Meissen „Flower Bouqet” Dinner Service, Germany 1840

$147,545

H 33.47 in Dm 17.72 in

Rare Antique 102 piece Meissen „Flower Bouqet” Dinner Service, Germany 1840

By Meissen Porcelain

Located in Rome, IT

Extensive 102 Piece Rare Meissen Dinner Service "Flower Bouqett", 1815 – 1860 , colorful, richly decorated gold rim, consisting of: 45 dinner plates (Ø 24 cm,) 24 deep plates (Ø 23 ...

Category

Antique 19th Century Italian Neoclassical Dinner Plates

Materials

Porcelain

Dutch 19th Century Folk Art Architectural Mansion Pigeon / Birdcage

$4,190Sale Price|28% Off

H 27.56 in W 45.28 in D 17.33 in

Dutch 19th Century Folk Art Architectural Mansion Pigeon / Birdcage

Located in Buisson, FR

Beautiful and unique Dutch Folk art Pigeon/birdcage in the form of a manor . This type of birdcages were made in the North of he Netherlands . They were miniature versions of the ori...

Category

Antique 19th Century Dutch Folk Art Bird Cages

Materials

Wood

Ceramic plate by Roger Capron, France, 1960's

$2,967Sale Price|30% Off

H 1.97 in Dm 11.23 in

Ceramic plate by Roger Capron, France, 1960's

By Roger Capron

Located in Paris, FR

Ceramic plate by Roger Capron, signed, 1960's

Category

Vintage 1960s French Modern Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic

Vintage Sergio Bustamante Papier Mâché Parrot Sculpture, Mexican Modernism

$3,850

H 31.75 in W 10 in D 11 in

Vintage Sergio Bustamante Papier Mâché Parrot Sculpture, Mexican Modernism

By Sergio Bustamante

Located in Los Angeles, CA

This exceptional vintage papier mâché sculpture is the work of renowned Mexican artist Sergio Bustamante, internationally celebrated for his imaginative, surrealist vision and master...

Category

Vintage 1980s Mexican Modern Animal Sculptures

Materials

Paint, Paper

Victorian Nécessaire de Voyage

$19,850

H 6 in W 12 in D 9 in

Victorian Nécessaire de Voyage

Located in New Orleans, LA

A work of extraordinary craftsmanship, this exquisite English vanity case is as much an item of luxury as it is of necessity. Known as a nécessaire de voyage, the case features a lux...

Category

Antique 19th Century English Victorian Jewelry Boxes

Materials

Velvet, Glass, Wood

Hand carved wooden owl statue

$1,062

H 13.59 in W 7.49 in D 9.06 in

Hand carved wooden owl statue

Located in TILBURG, NL

Colorfull hand carved wooden owl. Handmade in Belgium by l'Eau Vive. The base/body is painted in shiny black with strong shiny blue and green in the face and wings, hatched with gold...

Category

20th Century Belgian Animal Sculptures

Materials

Wood, Paint

50 Million Year Old Fossil Crocodile Specimen (Green River Formation, Wyoming)

$1,780,000

H 49 in W 90 in D 2.75 in

50 Million Year Old Fossil Crocodile Specimen (Green River Formation, Wyoming)

By Green River Fossil Company

Located in Logan, UT

Act fast to claim this exquisite piece of natural history, as our fossils will no longer be available through 1stDibs after October 31. This sculptural stone specimen features an ex...

Category

2010s American Decorative Art

Materials

Limestone

Anthony Redmile Style Stone Egg and Brass Owl Sculpture

$1,400

H 11.5 in W 5 in D 5 in

Anthony Redmile Style Stone Egg and Brass Owl Sculpture

By Anthony Redmile London

Located in North Miami, FL

Darling as can be, this whimsical vintage owl sculpture made from gilded metal and a stone body. Not signed but possibly by Anthony Redmile. It is of very high quality in detail, cra...

Category

Vintage 1970s British Animal Sculptures

Materials

Stone, Brass

Mexican Sermel Papier Mâché Small Mushroom Sculpture

$125

H 2 in Dm 2.5 in

Mexican Sermel Papier Mâché Small Mushroom Sculpture

By Sergio Bustamante

Located in Stamford, CT

Papier mâché small mushroom by Sermel. Hand painted design with overall areas of wear and minimal paint loss. Signed on the underside.

Category

Vintage 1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Natural Specimens

Materials

Paper

Cat figure made of Viennese bronze by Franz Bergman

$2,500

H 2.17 in W 1.38 in D 0.99 in

Cat figure made of Viennese bronze by Franz Bergman

By Franz Bergmann

Located in Autonomous City Buenos Aires, CABA

Cat figure made of Viennese bronze by Franz Bergman This figure is by artist Franz Bergman that represents a cat armed with a rifle with a red bag of ammunition. It is a cold painte...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Animal Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Bronze Owl Titled "Grand Duc" by Francois Pompon

$65,000

H 20.5 in W 6.25 in D 8 in

Bronze Owl Titled "Grand Duc" by Francois Pompon

By François Pompon

Located in Stamford, CT

A large cast bronze Owl by Francois Pompon, titled "Grand Duc" designed in 1928 and cast between 1934-1939. The patinated bronze is marked with a Fonderie C. Valsuani stamp and signe...

Category

Vintage 1930s French Modern Animal Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Get Updated with New Arrivals

Save "Paper Mache Owl", and we’ll notify you when there are new listings in this category.

Alexandre Noll Carved a Niche for Wood Objects in the Mid-Century Canon

The French sculptor shaped dense blocks into tactile forms meant to be used and held.

How a Craving for Color Revolutionized Glass

After synthetic dyes changed fashion, home goods and printed matter, it was only a matter of time till glass caught up.

Kazuyo Sejima’s Flowering Tree Blooms Year-Round

The brilliantly simple design turns a modest bouquet into a major statement.

He Wrote ‘Oedipus Rex,’ but Do You Know What He Looked Like?

The Greek tragedian is said to have been handsome in his day.

Cigar Culture Was Once the Peak of Masculinity. Now, It’s a Compelling Curiosity

Even for those who don’t indulge, elegant smoking accessories and audacious art portraying cigar enthusiasts hold a nostalgic allure.

African Travel Plans on Hold? This Ardmore Leopard Vase Brings the Beauty of the Savanna to You

It’s an excellent example of the sought-after ceramics coming out of South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province.

With a High-Tech Flagship and Cool Collabs, Lladró Is Breaking the Mold for Porcelain Production

Thanks to its new leadership, the Spanish maker of figurines, busts and lighting is on a mission to update the art of porcelain for the 21st century.

Zoë Powell’s Magnolia 05 Vessel Is Handmade from Clay She Unearthed Herself

The free-form stoneware piece is inspired by the magnolia tree and its associations with home.

More Ways To Browse

White Owl Sculpture

Bustamante Owls

Sergio Bustamante Owl Sculpture

Sergio Bustamante Owl

Sermel Paper Mache

Owl Decoy

Porcelain Place Card Holders

View All Popular Sculptures Searches

Paper Mache Owl

Vintage 1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures

20th Century Burmese Animal Sculptures

Vintage 1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures

Recent Sales

Vintage 1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Figurative Sculptures

20th Century Organic Modern Animal Sculptures

Vintage 1940s Burmese Sculptures

Antique Early 1900s American Country Garden Ornaments

Vintage 1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures

Early 20th Century English Edwardian Decoys

People Also Browsed

1950s Cubist Figurative Prints

Vintage 1970s Italian Animal Sculptures

Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Beds and Bed Frames

Antique 15th Century and Earlier American Prehistoric Natural Specimens

1990s Mexican Post-Modern Figurative Sculptures

Antique 19th Century Italian Neoclassical Dinner Plates

Antique 19th Century Dutch Folk Art Bird Cages

Vintage 1960s French Modern Ceramics

Vintage 1980s Mexican Modern Animal Sculptures

Antique 19th Century English Victorian Jewelry Boxes

20th Century Belgian Animal Sculptures

2010s American Decorative Art

Vintage 1970s British Animal Sculptures

Vintage 1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Natural Specimens

Antique Late 19th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Animal Sculptures

Vintage 1930s French Modern Animal Sculptures

Read More

Alexandre Noll Carved a Niche for Wood Objects in the Mid-Century Canon

How a Craving for Color Revolutionized Glass

Kazuyo Sejima’s Flowering Tree Blooms Year-Round

He Wrote ‘Oedipus Rex,’ but Do You Know What He Looked Like?

Cigar Culture Was Once the Peak of Masculinity. Now, It’s a Compelling Curiosity

African Travel Plans on Hold? This Ardmore Leopard Vase Brings the Beauty of the Savanna to You

With a High-Tech Flagship and Cool Collabs, Lladró Is Breaking the Mold for Porcelain Production

Zoë Powell’s Magnolia 05 Vessel Is Handmade from Clay She Unearthed Herself

More Ways To Browse