- The 5 main crafts of the Yaquis
- 1- The belts of the dancers
- 2- Wooden sculptures
- 3- Dolls
- 4- Masks
- 5- Musical instruments
- References
The traditional crafts of the Yaquis consists mainly ceremonial paraphernalia, and includes both the clothing worn by the dancers for rituals and celebrations such as musical instruments used to accompany these dances.
Some earthenware baskets, plates and cups are made for the festivities. The only handcrafted product that is made for specific marketing purposes are rag dolls made by women.
The 5 main crafts of the Yaquis
1- The belts of the dancers
They are a type of ritualistic handicraft made specifically for dances and used by dancers on specific dates.
Strips, also made of leather, hang on a strip of leather about 8 centimeters long, along with a hundred deer hooves.
The function of the hooves is to generate a sound that expresses the nervousness of the animal during the dance. For other dances, the belts may include bells in place of the hooves.
2- Wooden sculptures
The Yaquis, inspired by nature, carve in wood pieces that refer to eagles, hares, turtles, sharks, dolphins and other fish, as well as a great variety of birds.
They use a wood called ironwood, very similar to ebony. It is quite resistant to humidity due to its very low porosity.
3- Dolls
Made by hand with different types of fabric and ornaments. They have a height that ranges between 30 to 35 centimeters approximately.
The dolls represent the Yaqui woman, and are dressed in the same way as a Yaqui indigenous woman would traditionally: skirt and blouse embroidered with colorful flowers typical of festivities, and the traditional huaraches.
4- Masks
In their traditional dances, the Yaquis use various types of masks, such as the pascolas, which is used during the deer dance, or the Pharisee mask.
They are usually made of wood, and are painted depending on the celebration. It also highlights the deer head used in some dances. This is not technically a mask but a stuffed head.
5- Musical instruments
Several native instruments of the Yaquis are made to accompany the dances. The scrapers, used for percussion during the deer dance, are made of wood and produce a dry sound.
The water drum is made of a dried gourd that contains water inside and generates different sounds.
The ceremonial flute, made with a reed stick, is an indigenous instrument that emulates the sounds of the deer during the dramatization.
The ténabaris, an essential piece in the deer dance and many others, is a kind of rattle made by butterfly cocoons that fulfills a dual function: sound during the dance and part of the outfit.
While the dancer moves or walks, the ténabaris produces sound by the percussion of the dried cocoons together, which are linked by a thread or rope.
References
- Sonoran Crafts obson.wordpress.com
- Wikipedia - Yaqui en.wikipedia.org
- SIC México Yaqui, indigenous peoples sic.cultura.gob.mx
- Unknown Mexico - The Handicraft of Palo fierro mexicodesconocido.com.mx
- Yaqui necklaces tetabiateartesanias.blogspot.com
- Tecnológico de Monterrey - Los Yaquis mty.itesm.mx