Mexican String Art

Mexican String Art

Mexican String Art Item 162

$150.

12 x 12 inches / Hand twisted yarn

2004

Narrative

When the Huichol are to begin the season for planting corn, they first bury a cut gourd bowl with figures fashioned out of wax pressed onto the interior. The interior of this circle represents the interior decoration of one of these bowls. The human figure represents the Huichol. The corn stalk represents that which is going to be sown. The serpent represents life for the Huichol. The deer also represents that corn is to be planted for the Huichol believe that the deer and corn are one and the same. The candle and votive arrow are depicted as having been "fed" blood, spiritual food for these sacred objects. The circular objects divided into triangles represents what the Huichol are asking for: a long life. The two bottom brown mounds represents holes which have been dug for receiving the first corn seeds. The gray dots represents maize seed. In the lower left hole a god's eye is depicted as having been placed into the hole. On the right a votive arrow bathed with deer blood has been placed into the hole. These are offerings being made to the Maize God. At the top we also see a deer head, votive arrow, candle and muvieri or magic wand. These objects, with the exception of the muvieri will also be placed into the holes as sacred offerings in the hopes of a bountiful harvest. The muvieri will not be buried. It represents that a shaman will preside over this ceremony. The triangle around the perimeter of the bowl represents a decoration applied to the upper exterior rim of the bowl. Traditionally this was applied with tar.

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