| To create
bead art, the Huichol Indians place a thin layer of
beeswax with pine resin onto a hollowed out gourd or
wooden form. Then,
very carefully and meticulously, small, colorful beads
made from glass are picked up with a long needle and
pressed into the wax.
Using complex designs and symbols, the result
is stunning. Each
piece tells a unique story about the legacy of this
tribe, their religious beliefs, the sacred deer, and
so on. |
|
Nestled
in the Sierra de Nayarit, just north of Guadalajara,
Mexico, you will find approximately 12,000 Huichol
(Wee-Chol) Indians, a tribe believed to descend from
the Aztec Indians.
This area of Mexico is remote and rugged, and
home to one of the last tribes to exist under the
Spanish rule. The
Huichol Indians still follow pagan beliefs, consider
deer a sacred animal, grow corn, which is thought to
be the source of all life, and use a form of
communication called peyote.
Because of this, the core of the Huichol
Indians consist of deer, corn, and peyote.
As
a very religious and isolated group of people, they
express their feelings through art.
So incredible is the Huichol bead art that most
consider it a powerful decoration more than a profound
religious statement.
As a part of this art, you will find yarn
paintings, wooden masks, woven or embroidered
adornments, and the most beautiful of all, the
incredible bead work, which is thought to have been
created for more than 200 years.
Keep in mind that this tribe has its own
culture, traditions, and language, meaning the Huichol
bead art created is like nothing else in the entire
world.
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