Mercedes Diaz Hand Carved Seri Comcaac Ironwood Pelican Sonora Mexico Folk Art For Sale

Mercedes Diaz Hand Carved Seri Comcaac Ironwood Pelican Sonora Mexico Folk Art.
Substantial hand-carved solid ironwood pelican attributed to Mercedes Diaz, a documented Comcáac (Seri) ironwood artisan from Sonora, Mexico. The sculpture retains its original handwritten identification label on the underside reading “S1673 Mercedes Diaz.”

Carved from exceptionally dense, dark ironwood, the pelican has a simplified sculptural form with an elongated bill, incised wing and feather details, rich natural wood grain and a smoothly polished body. The integral base retains a more visibly hand-worked surface. At approximately 737 grams, or 1 lb. 10 oz., it is a substantial carving for its size.

Mercedes Díaz is documented as an ironwood artisan working within the historic Comcáac carving tradition. A 2020 profile of Comcáac artist Ignacio “Nacho” Barnett Astorga identifies Mercedes as his wife and first student and documents that she subsequently worked in ironwood herself, producing both small carvings and larger sculptures. Nacho learned the ironwood-carving tradition from his uncle José Astorga Encinas, an important early figure in the development of Comcáac ironwood sculpture.

Additional institutional documentation is particularly interesting. The Grinnell College Art Collection holds a collection of Seri ironwood carvings assembled in connection with research into Seri culture and the development of the ironwood-carving tradition. The collection includes four hand-carved ironwood bird sculptures credited to Mercedes Diaz Feliz:

Quail, Miniature (1997.320), 6 × 4 × 8 cm
Quail, Small (1997.319), 10 × 6 × 13 cm
Quail, Medium (1997.318), 14 × 7 × 16 cm
Quail, Large (1997.317), 18 × 9.5 × 21 cm

The same Grinnell collection also contains a hand-carved sitting pelican by Nacho Barnett, Mercedes Díaz’s documented husband and teacher. That sculpture, accession 1997.301, measures 20 × 10 × 21 cm. This provides noteworthy historical context for pelican imagery within the work of this immediate Comcáac carving tradition.

Approximate measurements: 7.75\" H × 4.5\" L × 3\" W (19.7 × 11.4 × 7.6 cm)
Weight: 1 lb. 10 oz. (approximately 737 g)

Very good vintage condition with natural variations in the ironwood and age appropriate surface wear. The original “S1673 Mercedes Diaz” identification label remains intact on the underside and is shown in the photographs.

Attribution is based on the original identification label retained on the sculpture together with published documentation of Mercedes Díaz as a Comcáac ironwood artisan. Grinnell College\'s institutional records use the fuller name Mercedes Diaz Feliz. Those records provide relevant historical and artistic context but are not presented as independent authentication of this particular sculpture.

Please review all photographs carefully as they are part of the description.