God's Eye Figure Item Number: Ni15 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Square stick has two round cross sticks attached with yarn, one at top and one close to centre. Central cross stick has two small cross sticks attached with yarn to either end. Half circle of wire wrapped in alternating green and black yarn is attached to central cross stick at side on right with blue yarn and to top of square stick with white cord. Wire is free at side on left of central cross stick. Tassels at each end of wire and at ends of sticks. Eleven tassels in total composed of all colours used in figure. Square stick and central cross stick wrapped in alternating pink and green, at base of square stick purple yarn is wrapped in a crossing pattern over pink and green yarn. Diamond formed of yarn at each cross stick: at square stick and central stick are purple, green and black; square stick and top cross stick are yellow, orange and pink; at either end of central cross stick are yellow, pink and purple.
History Of Use
God's eyes symbolically ask particular deities to 'keep an eye' on an individual; prominent during Harvest Festival in which children are taken on pretend peyote pilgrimages.
Cultural Context
contemporary; tourist art; ritual
Iconographic Meaning
Number of god's eyes shown represents the number of times a child has been on pretend peyote pilgrimages; 5 being the ideal.
Narrative
The Wixáritari are known to the larger world as the Huichol, however that is not the name they use to refer to themselves.
Item History
- Made in Jalisco, Mexico and Nayarit, Mexico before 1980
- Collected during 1980
- Owned by Xieca Shop
- Owned by Ralph Maud before February 1, 1982
- Received from Ralph Maud (Seller) and Museum of Anthropology Shop Volunteers (Funding source) on February 1, 1982
What
- Name
- God's Eye Figure
- Identification Number
- Ni15
- Type of Item
- figure
- Material
- wood, synthetic fibre and metal
- Manufacturing Technique
- cut, machine spun, dyed, knotted, wrapped and machine woven
- Overall
- height 33.0 cm, width 31.0 cm, depth 2.5 cm
Who
- Culture
- Huichol
- Previous Owner
- Xieca Shop and Ralph Maud
- Received from
- Ralph Maud (Seller) and Museum of Anthropology Shop Volunteers (Funding source)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Jalisco, Mexico and Nayarit, Mexico
When
- Creation Date
- before 1980
- Collection Date
- during 1980
- Ownership Date
- before February 1, 1982
- Acquisition Date
- on February 1, 1982
Other
- Condition
- good
- Current Location
- Case 93
- Accession Number
- 0774/0016