Unique Huichol Beaded Mask with Peyote, "Huichol Charm"

The artistry of the Cosio Carrillo family has been featured in periodicals ranging from Business Week to The New York Times.

"Hello! I'm Higinio Hernández Carillo, and I was born in the Jalisco mountains. I have followed my family tradition of making beaded artwork, but I like using bright colors in my designs. My works are different from the traditional beadwork from my homeland, and I use contrasting colors on spherical and oval-shaped figures.

"I make my masks over papier-mâché figures and my wife and I place the beads one-by-one on an adhesive coating of beeswax. The designs are completely improvised and are inspired by our reflections and feelings at the moment that we’re making the pieces.

"I'd spent several months trying to sell my works in local markets, but I finally found with Novica a way to get the world to know my pieces. I hope that you enjoy my works as much as I enjoy making them. I hope that through them you will get a better understanding of the magic and meaning of the Huichol culture."

The figures receive a coat of beeswax; it serves as an adhesive upon which Higinio Hernandez Carrillo patiently applies strands of yarn or tiny chaquira beads, using a needle to place each one with precision.

Do not expose these pieces to direct heat or light, as it could soften the wax adhesive and thus loosen the yarn or beads.