The path of the earthen warrior

$ 13,500.00

Size: 70x100cm; 2.3x3.2ft

Weaver: Belen Bautista

Price: $680USD

Materials and methods: jute fiber and raphia taedigera hand dyed with natural dyes: Pecan Husks, beé (cochineal) 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 wool rayon blend for warp.

Design patterns and symbols.

The cycle of life pattern was woven around this rug as a frame; this symbol is formed by joining both hands in a fist shape at the tips of the fingers similar to a mudra. This union represents the balance of the left and right side of our awareness. The left side of our body we call Rubeæs (Nahual) and holds the type of awareness associated to our intuition, our conection to nature and the spirit world. Words Associated with beaæs are powerful: Jaguar (governors), ants (corn seed keepers, rain predictors), new borns, censer, etc... On the right side we have the naliì (tonal) awareness, the awareness associated with language and logic that allow us to understand the cause and effect phenomenons of the physical world; words associated are music, straight lines and honesty, keys, locks etc. The ancient teachings can be summarized in the moto live a life of balance.

The life cycle symbol can also be read mathematically, each block (step) represents 13 years of life and is marked by a specific ritual. At age 52 one has probably grown up, worked a lot, started a family and then one starts to grow spiritually. The so called middle age crisis is inherent to this stage of life, dur8ng these13 years until 52 one needs to recapitulate life experiences and process them into knowledge that are distilled into stories that can be passed down to future generations. As much as we are inheriting DNA (tangible), we also inherit stories and teachings (intangible); both are capable of transforming the world. After 52, the line points down as we enter elderhood and our bodies start weakening but our spirit starts getting uplifted. After 65 the line lays flat as we would get ready to lay our physical bodies and face our death at any time, during this stage we would need more and more support from our family and community, just like we did when we were kids, and in exchange we have all the knowledge and stories to share. Children and elders share a particular bond because children, specially babies, just emerged from the spirit world while elders are getting ready to return to it.

The four step cycle of life pattern is encapsuled by a longer cycle of life pattern woven with dark brown to represent the path of the earthen warrior; a philosophy that seeks to live life in a balanced way as the main guiding principle. The other principle is to walk on earth leaving no footprints behind (environmental impact). Just as humans are the top predator in the environment we are also being Hunter by death and must not leave tracks behind to camouflage our way. On an ethical perspective native people have a deep sense of giving back to nature during for their wild food gathering and hunting; in fact a lot of the original native landscapes were created as a result of wild tending and restoring ecosystems to benefit humans and non human life. We are at a point in the state of the world where as a collective humanity (mostly developed countries) have put a tremendous demand for resources which endangers the life support systems of the earth. We must look back at our ancestors footsteps and embrace a restorative way of life with life on earth.