Huichol Lizard

Guardian of the fire, the atakuí, or lizard, poses on the forehead of this intriguing skull figurine. Petite deer encircle a cluster of snowflake patterns, and stars appear amid them. Brother of the Huichol people, Kawuyomaire is a blue deer who travels the heavens as a guide and guardian. He can be heard by the shaman, or mara'akame, and his presence is perceptible through the peyote flowers, seen on the temples and back of the skull. Six-sided stars watch over the sun at night while he is asleep. Higinio Hernandez Carrillo creates these elegant images, patiently applying each tiny seed bead and using a needle to place each one with precision.

Care instructions: Do not expose this piece to direct heat or light, as it could soften the wax adhesive and thus loosen the beads.