Collection: Beaded Art

Welcome to Peyote People, we are a small gallery in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We work directly with the Huichol Indians that live in San Andres Cohamiata, Jalisco. We believe that the artist is just as valuable as the art; every piece that we sell is marked with the artist name and has a stamp that states their tribal affiliation which adheres to the 1991 Indian Arts and Crafts Act. 

The Beaded art done by the Wixaritari (Huichol) can be dated back to the 1700s, the beads were introduced by a group of missionaries in an effort to convert them into christianity. Their efforts proved futile and they were shortly expelled from the mountains but they decided to keep the beads. Thus they were slowly introduced into their religious offerings. 

Don Jacinto Lopez Ramirez, is one of the founding fathers of beaded art. Peyote People has been working with Florencio's family for over 30 years.

The technique has remained the same throughout the years. The Wixaritari layers a coat of wax onto the wooden piece or gourd, then after stacking layers onto a needle they begin to add them one by one starting from the inside of the design. After which the contours are filled, this labor is usually done by their kids in order for them to learn this art form.