God's Eye Figure

Item number Ni16 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

Public

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Data
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Description

Central stick, glued to circular base, has two cross sticks attached with yarn. Two metal hoops on either side of central stick are wrapped in blue and pink yarn and have white feathers at each end. Alternating blue and pink yarn wrapped around base. Central stick wrapped in yellow, at first cross blue, pink and purple yarn form a diamond, cross stick ends wrapped in blue before tassels. At second cross stick blue, light blue, yellow and brown yarn form a diamond, ends wrapped in blue before tassels. End of central stick wrapped in blue before tassel.

History Of Use

God's eyes symbolically ask particular deities to 'keep an eye' on an individual; prominent during the harvest festival in which children are taken on pretend peyote pilgrimages.

Cultural Context

contemporary; tourist art; ritual

Iconographic Meaning

Number of god's eyes represents the number of times a child has been on pretend peyote pilgrimages; 5 pilgrimages 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