VisualizationRhea Bird Ornament SVG, Calchaqui Folk Art Laser Cut File DXF, Boho Andean Wall Hanging Decor
A choique, the rhea of the Argentine plains, drawn the way Calchaqui potters painted birds: a round body split into dark and dotted quarters, a looping neck and five curling plumes. Cut as one piece, the bird spans 90 mm by 98.5 mm (3.54 by 3.88 in), and its 4 mm hanging hole crowns the top plume. You may cut it, sell it and adapt it freely.
- Formats
- SVG, DXF
- Size
- 90 × 99 mm (3.54 × 3.88 in)
- Parts
- 1
- Hanging hole
- 4 mm
- Cut length
- 0.57 m
- Engraving area
- 13.1 cm²
- Material
- 3 mm plywood, MDF or acrylic
- Est. time, 10 W diode
- 4 min 06 s
- Est. time, 40 W CO2
- 1 min 31 s
- Est. time, 100 W CO2
- 56 s
- Per 300 × 400 mm sheet
- 9 pcs
- Per 600 × 400 mm sheet
- 18 pcs
- Layers
- CUT (red), ENGRAVE (black)
- License
- CC0 1.0: free for personal and commercial use
Free account required to download
How to make it
- 01Open the SVG or DXF and confirm the import scale: the bird should come in at 90 by 98.5 mm, with the hole above the top plume.
- 02Give the black layer a fill engrave so the dark quarters and bold strokes come out solid, and set the red layer to cut through.
- 03Cut one bird on scrap and look closely at the toes and the plume notches; if a notch is still joined, add a pass rather than slowing the whole job.
- 04Sand the back lightly, paint the dotted quarters if you want colour, and hang it with jute twine for a rustic look.
A bird borrowed from Calchaqui pottery
The choique is the South American rhea, and this one is drawn the way it appears on painted bowls from the Calchaqui valleys of north-west Argentina. It faces right in mid-stride. The round body is cut into four quarters: two are solid dark engraving, two stay as bare wood sprinkled with small engraved dots. A thin neck loops up into a little head with a round eye and a hooked beak, and five plumes curl back over the body like fingers. The outline wraps around each plume, so the gaps between them become open notches and the shape reads as a bird even before you look at the engraving.
Legs, toes and plume gaps
The two legs are single strokes ending in three-toed feet, and they are the weak point of the piece. In 3 mm plywood they hold up at full size, but if you shrink the file, look at the ankles first. The notches between plumes are narrow, so a clean, fully separated cut matters more here than speed. A 10 W diode needs roughly 4 min 6 s per bird; a 40 W CO2 gets there in 1 min 31 s, and a 100 W tube in 56 s (estimates for 3 mm plywood). Walnut or cherry veneer gives an earthy, ceramic feel; terracotta acrylic suits a brighter version.
Who buys a folk rhea
- Boho and ethnic-style decorators: hang three or four folk animals from a driftwood branch.
- Painters: fill the plain quarters with ochre and brick red to echo the original pottery colours.
- People with Argentine or Andean roots: engrave a town name or a date on the back as a keepsake.
- Collectors of ostrich, emu and rhea items, who rarely find a hand-drawn version.
Questions about this file
What is a choique?
It is the name used in Argentina and Chile for the lesser rhea, a large flightless bird related to the ostrich. Calchaqui potters painted it on bowls and urns, which is where this drawing style comes from.
Can I paint the dotted quarters a different colour?
Yes. Those quarters are bare wood, so after cutting you can fill them with acrylic paint or coloured wax. Seal the wood first with a thin coat of varnish so the paint does not bleed into the grain.
Will the thin legs break off?
At the full 90 mm width in 3 mm plywood they are sturdy enough for normal handling. Birch ply is stronger than MDF for this bird because its cross layers support the narrow ankles.
Does it work as a wall piece rather than a tree ornament?
It does. The hole sits at the top plume, so the bird hangs upright from a nail or a cord. Nine pieces come out of a 300 × 400 mm sheet and eighteen out of 600 × 400 mm, enough for a folk-art garland.
Can I sell rhea ornaments cut from this file?
Yes, commercial use is allowed. You can sell the cut birds, paint them, add names and include them in your own sets.
Similar files
