Huichol Art &; Culture : Balancing the World

Known today for colourful, decorative yarn paintings renowned in the global art market, the indigenous Huichols of western Mexico have retained their unique culture and arts, creating traditional art and practising ancient rituals that predate Spanish contact. The origins of modern Huichol art are found in the early religious arts that form the outstanding collection of Robert M Zingg, the first American anthropologist to conduct extended fieldwork among the Huichol (1934-1935). Drawing from the Zingg collection housed at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe, this extensive volume features a vast array of Huichol art including textiles, prayer arrows, richly decorated votive gourd bowls, featherwork, and beaded jewellery. Accompanying essays by noted Huichol scholars including C Jill Grady, Peter T Furst and Hope MacLean, explore the anthropological history of the Huichol and the themes of their unique cultural arts. Also included are rare field photographs taken by Zingg, documenting the annual ceremonial and agricultural cycles and many of the collected objects in use.