Lot 30
Latin America, West Mexico, Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range, Huichol (Wixarika) people, ca. 20th to 21st century CE. A marvelous cow skull hand-beaded in jaw-dropping detail and psychedelic hues that depict the circle of life. The meticulous beading features a complex decorative program with a mandala over the cow's eye sockets and a figure with a plumed headdress standing below. Mesmerizing patterns of eagles, lizards, flowers, peyote, and a deer are all worked into the intricate geometric decoration, all applied to the bone via wax. Huichol art is traditionally made to communicate with a pantheon of ancestors and gods. The Huichol constantly create offerings which serve as visual prayers to the gods. As part of the ceremonial cycle, the Huichol make pilgrimages to leave offerings at sacred sites. Ceremonial offerings to the gods are the precursors to the art of modern Huichol beadwork. Size: 22.3" L x 22.5" W x 11.8" H (56.6 cm x 57.2 cm x 30 cm)
The Huichol are a Native American people of western Mexico who for many centuries have retained their unique culture and prehispanic religious beliefs. Their remote location in the rugged Sierra Madre Occidental mountains primarily in the states of Jalisco and Nayarit has allowed for greater resistance than any other indigenous group to the forces of Christianization and acculturation. The Huichol people today continue to create traditional art and practice ancient rituals that predate the time of Spanish contact. Early Huichol votive art evolved into art produced for sale beginning in the 1950s, when artists adapted traditional techniques, designs, and materials. Sophisticated and vibrant Huichol beadwork have now become renowned in the global art market.
Provenance: private Cripple Creek, Colorado, USA collection
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#184445
- Condition: Some small areas of missing beads, none of which greatly affect imagery. Areas of chipping, especially around eye sockets. Missing a few front teeth. Signs of weathering with natural ossification of bone and lichen and natural mineral deposits across the surface. Otherwise, excellent overall presentation with good preservation of beaded imagery and colors. Suspension wire on verso for easy display.
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