Ni baluyi beæl guiieæ: the teachings of the feather snake 2.

$ 50,000.00

Size: 60x96cm; 2x3ft

Master Weaver: María Mendoza Contreras

Materials and methods: our auntie Maria rediscovered the lost art of weaving with agave fibers hand dyed with natural dyes: Bèé (cochineal), Xiuhquilitl (indigo), Pericón (Tagetes lucida), Pecan Husks and Zapote fruit. Handwoven on a Zapotec style loom of the 16th century adapted from European styles. Woven using a 7 threads per inch reed and hemp for warp.

Design, patterns and symbols.

This rug has three portals for understanding and observing ancient knoledge through the eyes of fractal patterns and sacred geometry. The outer frame is built with the warrior life cycle pattern that has nine segments of life each representing 13 years of life totalling 116 years that is related to the 117 days of Mercury's rotation around the sun. The path of the warrior teaches us that we must embrace death as part of life in order to live fulfilled lives, death is our best councellor because when we are grounded in the face of death we become more focused and present. If we were to live life as it every moment could be our last moment on earht we would bring the best of ourselves and achieve great feats not only in survival mode but in every day life. Four life cycles of a warrior build up a Quincunce (fifth pointed cross) in the negative space left in there. The Quincunce is woven and nested in a sequence of 8, 16, 24 and 32 with this 8 times rate of expansion in four directions to represent the expansion of the universe that creates itself to know itself. The quincunce pattern transitions into the third dimention in which we find six series of the Nahual life cycle pattern. The nahual life cycle pattern is obtained by joining both hands at the thumbs while curling the fingers into a fist. This spiral pattern built into our bodies represents the fibonacci series, that golden ratio found in the growth of nature. Symbolically it represents the inner direction of growth to find our true face and true heart: whitin.

Causes: these are probably among the last rugs that our auntie Maria weves, as she gets older and closer to retire from weaving. However, weaving givers her strength and purpose so she weaves at her own rythm as much as she can. The rug sales support her retirement and medication expenses.