Huichol: Yarn Butterfly Gold Gourd Oaxacan woodcarving Betty Quezada

Betty Quezada

painting each section with a different version of these shapes

surrounded by an aura of fiery rays

one luminous and one absorbed — gives the decoration its quiet power

Alberto signs this piece on the back of the wings

Huichol: Yarn Butterfly Gold Gourd Oaxacan woodcarving Betty QuezadaThis exquisite natural gourd has been beautifully transformed by Huichol (Wixrika) artists using the traditional yarn painting technique known as nierika, in which beeswax and resin are applied to the surface, and fine strands of yarn are carefully placed by hand to form intricate designs. The top half of the gourd features soft earth tone yarnswarm grays, creams, and goldsarranged in elegant Huichol motifs. At the center is a butterfly, a powerful