Back Shield Item Number: Ni35 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Small square back shield attached to three sticks. Orange and blue yarn tightly interwoven with bamboo, yarn runs horizontally and bamboo, in seventeen groups of two, run vertically, ends of bamboo are exposed. Blue yarn forms frontal eagle with outstretched wings and head turned sideways, yellow eye. Near top of long vertical four-sided stick, two shorter sticks cross horizontally. Sticks attached to each other on back by cross wrapping green yarn. Shield attached to three sticks by wrapping orange yarn around sticks and through shield, knotted on back. Sticks extend beyond shield. All sticks wrapped in alternating pink and green yarn. Top of centre stick wrapped in pink and yellow-green yarn at topped with a black pompom. Small god's eye on each cross stick, centre is black, then yellow, green and pink, on three points of god's eyes are pompoms.
History Of Use
Ceremonial back shield protects against sun, evil, sickness and accidents. It can also represent individual prayers for rain, good crops or fertility; may be attached to ceremonial arrow and hung under the roof of a god-house, laid on the altar or set upright in the ground; used by men and women.
Cultural Context
contemporary; tourist art; ritual
Iconographic Meaning
Eagle expresses adoration of grandfather fire; god's eyes are petitions for the gods to keep their followers in health.
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 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
- Back Shield
- Identification Number
- Ni35
- Type of Item
- shield
- Material
- synthetic fibre, wood, dye and bamboo grass
- Manufacturing Technique
- machine spun, machine plied, wrapped, knotted, cut and dyed
- Overall
- height 55.4 cm, width 27.5 cm, depth 3.5 cm
Who
- Culture
- Huichol
- Previous Owner
- 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
- fair
- Accession Number
- 0774/0007