Huichol Art

Huichol Art

Huichol Art Item 290

$725.

2ft. x 2ft.

Hand-twisted yarn, archival wax on board.

2006

Pilgrimage to Haramara

The location of this scene is the Pacific Ocean at San Blas, Nayarit, Mexico. Here a Huichol has come to honor the Goddess Haramara.

A shaman faces the ocean and is holding in his out-stretched hands: a tamale filled with deer meat, a candle decorated with China paper, a cane used by the elderly, a god's eye and a votive arrow with a nierika attached. He offers these gifts to the Deity Haramara and will leave them for Her. She is the goddess of the Pacific Ocean, a sacred body of water to the Huichol. Placed into the water by the shaman for Haramara are: maize, a magic wand called muvieri, a deer head, candles, votive arrows, different types of squash, green beans, peyote and two ceremonial bowls. One of the bowls has maize "corn" inside and the other, an arrow with nierika attached. Nierika are magical devices allowing man and the gods to look into the other's world. The decorations of a deer and a corn stalk seen on the sides of the bowls are representative of the wax impressions found inside of the bowls. The 15 white bulb-like motifs found knee-level of the man represent sea foam. The footprints represent his pilgrimage. A round-trip trek from his village, say from San Andres Cohamiata would be two weeks. Natural objects found at San Blas include crabs, shrimp, coconut trees, turtles, a whale, fish Garza birds and rocks. All of these objects are sacred to the Huichol and are considered "the children Haramara". Above the shaman is a building found here called the calihuey. Inside are found muvieri, flowers, candles and devotional arrows. When the shaman arrives to pay homage to Haramara, he first lights a candle in the temple. When he has finished the required rituals, he extinguishes the candle. Note: The personal calihuey of the shaman at his village would have a candle burning throughout the night, to accompany the maize. It is not lit during the day. To the left of the temple, the deer signifies the belief that the deer's spirit inhabits this place. Above, the eagle is physically present here. He is considered a "son of the sea". The bowl with candle in front of the spirit deer has also been brought by the shaman. The sky is filled with multi-colored stars. One of the muvieri on the temple's roof has a serpent's rattle attached. Above the tree is the small launch that takes the shaman to this small island in San Blas for his ceremony. A boatman is contracted for this purpose. The island is about five minutes from the mainland. The temple or ririki is located on the island. To the right we see a tiger, "tigre" whose "spirit" inhabits this place. Below, is the shaman's bag surrounded by miniaturized versions of a bottleneck-neck gourd filled with sacred water, nierika, candles, and a gourd vessel with candle. the deer head and peyote are normal size. All of the objects that the shaman has brought for the deity have been carried in this traditional, shoulder bag. The ceremony on the island takes about one hour. The Huichol make the pilgrimage to San Blas in the hope of receiving favors from the goddess. They may ask for a long and prosperous life for themselves, their family and community; ask that their crops are abundant and that their livestock thrive. Sometimes they come upon the advice of a shaman when a loved one is sick. A shaman or apprentice may ask for additional magical powers in return for his sacrifice and offerings.

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