Beæl niís: water snake

Size: 60x188cm; 23x74in

Weaver: Jose Luis Lazo, 12 years old

Price: $420USD

Materials ans methods: criollo sheep wool hand dyed with Xiuhquilitl (indigo).  A little bit of bright blue dyed with aniline dyes. Handwoven on a Zapotec style loom of the 16th century adapted from European styles. Woven using a 7 threads per inch reed. 

Design patterns and symbols.

This water represents the water snake that descends to the earth to bring water to our land. This idea is represented in the sacred site of Chichen Itzá where the shadows and light passing through the steps create the shape of Kukulkan descending on earth to announce the rains. The same idea is prevalent across many nations and cultures of the Anawak (North American continent) among the Benīzaā we say Seæbi beæl nisslliea when the rain is pouring downright, as the storm is approaching you can see the column of rain ondulate like a snake. The snake shapped rivers that make their way and mix in the ocean come back as rain (in the shape of a snake) creating a cosmic cycle that can be studied, revered, predicted and feel connected to. This rug depicts these ideas with the weaving of river symbols, diamonds from the skin of snakes, and scales that represent many individuals uniting together to form a larger community and act as one entity. Different shades of natural blue were used to represent different shades of colored rivers from the clear ones to the dark depths of the ocean. There is also a blue colored corn tassel that we call "Daou" in our language, the same word that we use to make the workd for Ocean, "Nisdaou".