Extraordinary Beauty of the Nierika

Gate of the soul, mystical portal and a gust of wind within a storm make up the essence of the nierika. Conceived as an ancestral communication instrument, the nierika hides under its kaleidoscope of colors the very spirit of Huichol art.

The production of this delicate craft has crossed the generations and stands as the most representative symbol of the ethnic group that will never die.

The Extraordinary Beauty of the Nierika

For the Huichol people, the nerikate (plural) are ritual tools. Magical objects rooted in the spirituality of the indigenous group that lives in the states of Nayarit, Zacatecas and Durango. A nierika is made with threads (stamens) or beads (chaquiras) symbolically strung around a wooden wheel or large canvases. The preparation of a nierika takes about 2 weeks of hard work. The materials are obtained in the same region of Nayarit and neighboring municipalities of the state.

The Huichol term also refers to a mirror that seeks divine revelation, the message of the ancestors. Round mirrors about 4 inches in diameter are used, with a metal backing. The nierika is used by the mara'akate (master shamans) when communicating with the deities. On some occasion a Huichol member said: "The telephone number of the mara'akame is nierika."

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