This is a phenomenal Whale Tail that measures 8.5" Tall, 9" Long and is 4" Wide.
Mayola Villa Lopez is the granddaughter of Jacinto Lopez Ramirez. He was an older Huichol shaman, considered to be the grandfather of the commercial bead art.
Bead art done by the Wixaritari (Huichol) can be dated back to the 1700s, where 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.
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.
