Nierikate (Paintings)
The goddess Nakawe, knew that a disaster approached and pleaded to the other Gods to make a symbol where their divine faces could be represented. This symbol was made in the land of Wirikuta, around a rock, where darkness was eliminated with the arrival of the sun. This is how the Nierika was born, which is the gift of seeing, represented in divine paintings.
This paintings are used so that the Gods get a better idea of what they are being asked for. The sun is commonly represented as a tool for seeing. They are used to ask the gods for good aim while hunting deer, to pray so that children don’t fall into sickness, so that the gods protect the crops, and to give offerings to the Gods in the Tukipa or Kallihuey.
In the Nierika, the Wixaritari paint, draw, and form images with yarn and strings which are related to the things that the craftsman wants to plead. The paintings represents a visual image of prayers so that the Gods can focus on them.
This paintings are used so that the Gods get a better idea of what they are being asked for. The sun is commonly represented as a tool for seeing. They are used to ask the gods for good aim while hunting deer, to pray so that children don’t fall into sickness, so that the gods protect the crops, and to give offerings to the Gods in the Tukipa or Kallihuey.
In the Nierika, the Wixaritari paint, draw, and form images with yarn and strings which are related to the things that the craftsman wants to plead. The paintings represents a visual image of prayers so that the Gods can focus on them.
Kuka (Bead)
The art of inserting beads made of bones, clay, corals, precious metals, and seeds has been present before the arrival of the Spaniards.
It was the Spanish who brought to Mexico the word “chaquira”, (which translates to bead) small beads made out of glass. Since the XIX century, the industrial production of this material by the Japanese and the French provided a variety of beads to the Wixaritari, which were an upgrade to those used in the past.
Among the Wixaritari, magnificent artists craft beautiful art pieces made out of these beads. Common art pieces include images of flowers, stars, deer, scorpions, eagles, and other animals. Images of these animals are portrayed in wristbands, necklaces, collars, belts, and thousand of other forms. This beads are also used with ritual purposes in order to decorate images of the Xukurite and Nierikate, which are the deities of the Wixaritari.
It was the Spanish who brought to Mexico the word “chaquira”, (which translates to bead) small beads made out of glass. Since the XIX century, the industrial production of this material by the Japanese and the French provided a variety of beads to the Wixaritari, which were an upgrade to those used in the past.
Among the Wixaritari, magnificent artists craft beautiful art pieces made out of these beads. Common art pieces include images of flowers, stars, deer, scorpions, eagles, and other animals. Images of these animals are portrayed in wristbands, necklaces, collars, belts, and thousand of other forms. This beads are also used with ritual purposes in order to decorate images of the Xukurite and Nierikate, which are the deities of the Wixaritari.
Masks
The magic that is encapsulated masks is not inherent to a particular culture. The idea of taking the qualities or powers of something that is represented by the mask, transforms the wearer radically.
The ritual mask is used in the Mawarixa (bull fest) and in the Weya celebrations (Holy Week), in which Tsikwaki, a sort of jester, dressed as a teiwari (mixed race), uses a comical mask. Throughout the holiday, this jester is in charge of entertaining people. Other masks are used for votive purposes or to be sold and merchandized. Masks exist in many varieties. Simplistic masks are made, yet there are some masks that are richly decorated with beads and multicolored thread. Both the beads and the threads are inserted with pressure to the mask and are kept together with wax. |
Itsari - Tailoring
"When a wixárika woman wants to stitch something, her husband captures a snake holding it by the neck, while the woman beats the snake, then she passes her hand through her face and eyes hoping to receive the aptitude to stitch something beautiful."
As the majority of the pre hispanic communities in Mexico, the wixaritari use the loom, of which points are kept in a constant proportion, with these haversacks and girdles are elaborated, and sometimes canvas made of wool and cotton. When embroidering, they use the cross technique, which helps to facilitate learning and its mechanization by its mathematical proportion. Many wixaritari conserve, family patterns of shapes and designs, that after many generations haven't undergone any changes."
As the majority of the pre hispanic communities in Mexico, the wixaritari use the loom, of which points are kept in a constant proportion, with these haversacks and girdles are elaborated, and sometimes canvas made of wool and cotton. When embroidering, they use the cross technique, which helps to facilitate learning and its mechanization by its mathematical proportion. Many wixaritari conserve, family patterns of shapes and designs, that after many generations haven't undergone any changes."
Dress - Kemari
“The dress is for the body as a mask that reflects the feelings and movements of the soul”
The dressing gowns are the second skin for the Wixaritari people. The cultural baggage that the Wixaritari have collected throughout the ages is represented in them. As most of their artistic representations, the deities are represented by inserting holy objects in which prayers of their needs and wishes are plasmated. An element of magic is surely created.
The majority of the prayers that are found in the chapels and holy places are small pieces of hand-embroidered cloth in which the woman pleads to the Gods for a happy ending to her sewing.
The dressing gowns are the second skin for the Wixaritari people. The cultural baggage that the Wixaritari have collected throughout the ages is represented in them. As most of their artistic representations, the deities are represented by inserting holy objects in which prayers of their needs and wishes are plasmated. An element of magic is surely created.
The majority of the prayers that are found in the chapels and holy places are small pieces of hand-embroidered cloth in which the woman pleads to the Gods for a happy ending to her sewing.
Xupureru - Hat
The huichol hat is elaborated with either a similar plant as the soyate, which is named “umeka”, or a small palm that is found in great quantities along the mountains named Taku”
This garment takes the color of life and reflects it. During the local holidays, the wixarika decorates its hat with green leaves, flowers, and even with the tail of squirrel and deers. It is also decorated with feathers of chickens, herons, crows, parrot, and with feathers of the local birds. Dried up thorns are also used so that they make sound as they walk. They are also decorated with red and black cloths.
The shape and size of the hat differs between Huichol communities. In the community of San Andres, the hats are notable for being bigger and are not decorated with thread. The ones in Santa Catarina are smaller and are almost always decorated with blue thread. In San Sebastian, they are much lighter and decorated with red thread.
This garment takes the color of life and reflects it. During the local holidays, the wixarika decorates its hat with green leaves, flowers, and even with the tail of squirrel and deers. It is also decorated with feathers of chickens, herons, crows, parrot, and with feathers of the local birds. Dried up thorns are also used so that they make sound as they walk. They are also decorated with red and black cloths.
The shape and size of the hat differs between Huichol communities. In the community of San Andres, the hats are notable for being bigger and are not decorated with thread. The ones in Santa Catarina are smaller and are almost always decorated with blue thread. In San Sebastian, they are much lighter and decorated with red thread.