Folk Art Spotlight - Huichol Bead Art

December 23, 2013

Huichol bead work is among Mexico's most precious folk arts. Crafts in Mexico make up an important cultural heritage due to the creativity of Mexican artisans in each of its pieces and its vibrant colors. It is in a community with a strong attachment to its traditions, where one of the most magical and representative artistic expressions of Mexico originate: Huichol art. Huichol art broadly groups the most traditional and most recent innovations in the folk art and handcrafts produced by the Huichol people, who live in the states of Jalisco and Nayarit in Mexico. The unifying factor of the work is the colorful decoration using symbols and designs which date back centuries. The Huichol have a long history of beading, making the beads from clay, shells, corals, seeds and more and using them to make jewelry and to decorate bowls and other items. The "modern" beadwork usually consists of masks and wood sculptures covered in small, brightly colored commercial beads fastened with wax and resin.

La Fuente Imports is proud to offer one of the most artistic collections of Huichol Indian beadwork available anywhere on the web. Every item has been selected by hand to ensure the highest possible quality for your enjoyment. The Huichol Indian Bead Art which is available for purchase on our site is created in the rugged mountains and remote villages of the Sierra de Nayarit north of Guadalajara which are the homeland of roughly ten to fourteen thousand Huichol Indians. These were among the last tribes to come under Spanish rule, and their religion still is essentially pagan, revolving around several important agricultural deities. Deer is the most sacred of all animals, its blood a symbol of fertility. Corn is the source of all life, for it was Nacahue, mother of all gods, who gave corn to the first man for planting, and from it was born the first Huichol woman. Peyote is a means of communication with the gods, and the consumption of peyote by the Huichol people is a deeply religious experience. The unity of these three elements — deer, corn, and peyote — is the absolute core of Huichol beliefs.

Each piece of Huichol Bead Art is made first by spreading a thin layer of beeswax over a wooden form or hollowed gourd, and then meticulously pushing small glass beads into the wax to create complex patterns and symbols. Our Huichol Beaded Prayer Bowls are one-of-a-kind and a meaningful piece to start your collection with. Serious collectors may be interested in adding one of our Huichol Jaguar Heads to their home. No matter which piece you select to purchase, you will be amazed at the sheer beauty and artistry of each one-of-a-kind creation.

Browse our wide variety of Huichol Bead Art today!

Article Source: http://www.visitmexico.com/en/huichol-art

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