Description

This is a beaded jaguar made by a Huichol (or Wixárika) artist. The Huichol are an indigenous people from the Sierra Madre Occidental Range of Mexico and the United States. The elaborate designs of this jaguar are made by carefully placing each bead on the beeswax that covers the jaguar's wood surface. Several symbols are designed into the beadwork of the jaguar, including a deer and scorpion. Deer or Mahjrah in Huichol symbolize Kayumahli, the spirit guide or teacher and channel of knowledge for the Huichol Shamans. Scorpions are considered protectors against evil and guardians of the peyote in Huichol culture.