Huichol Native T Shirt – ‘Magical Deer’ Design

Description

The design of this T shirt is taken from a yarn art piece created by the Huichol Indian artist Santos Daniel Carrillo.

Here is artist’s description of the art:

The magical deer represents both the power of maize to sustain the body and of the peyote cactus to feed and enlighten the spirit.  (The green spiralling circles on the body are maize cobs seen end-on, and the eye is a peyote cactus).

Animals such as the eagle, jaguar, serpent and the deer are of great importance for the Mexican indigenous cultures.  For each group, however, one of these animals is of special significance and this confers some of its qualities on the tribe.  For the Huichol it is the deer that holds this most intimate role.  The character of the Huichol as a group tends to be light, flexible and humorous.  They have avoided open warfare, neither fighting against the Spanish nor for the Mexican government and have always maintained their traditions.

The Huichol hunt and sacrifice deer in their ceremonies.  They make offerings to the Deer of the Maize to care for their crops, and to the Deer of the Peyote to bring them spiritual guidance and artistic inspiration.