Huichol Serpent Plate

The Huichol have been making beads for centuries using clay, turquoise, coral, shells, seeds and more to create jewelry and adorn masks, bowls and other items. Regretfully today small plastic commercial beads have replaced these natural materials.

Each bead is individually mounted and fixed in place on diverse surfaces such as carved wood, dried gourds and paper maché using bees wax. Although the materials have changed, the original techni- que, patterns and design have retained their original sacred and ceremonial meaning.