Faerybeads 'Indigenous Art' Contest

A new contest for this weekend! Brush up your knowledge!

The winner is drawn from the comments beneath this post. The winner, to be announced on April 12th, receives the rectangular silver bead shown in the picture.

This new bead is available from April 17th.

Peru ?

Aztec, Mayans?

It looks like a Navajo chief's blanket... beautiful!

Yes, I would say Aztec as well.

Berber (Tunisia) ?

Ancient culture sharing this design: I think Anazazi

I'm going to guess something totally different like Aborigine

After having fun googling all sorts of indigenous cultures, I'm going to add one more guess...Ashanti

I've found out that Berber live now not only in Tunisia and Morocco but  I never knew before - in Algeria also.
Thank you Faerybeads for the Contest

My guesses for the African inspiration: Nubian or Kushite


Edited further down: I  now think it is Gurunsi

Either Mesoamerican or Berber pattern.

When I was wax-carving last year, I made a sketch with that kind of pattern for a round bead because I love the retired aztec and navaho beads so much. Unfortunately I couldn't get the small detail into the wax... now you've beaten me to it

Reminds me of Navajo designs. Love the detail Very striking!

I have a new guess for the African origin of the design: Gurunsi

Zulu?
They have similar patterns on baskets. I liked the beaded love letters too.  
I may have learned a bit more about African indigenous culture and people now 
Thanks for the fun!

The design again is outstanding.

great design again! reminds me a bit of the southwestern quilt designs and american native art, but I have no clue which specific indigenous art and culture it could come from.

Needless to say, I "need" one, they will be perfect for a necklace...

It looks Native American to me, Navajo specifically.

First thing I thought was "chocolate"
Have your heard about the delicious Lindt Creola chocolate and Ek Chuah the god of merchants and cocoa plants in Mayan mythology?
Everything tends to be chocolate related for me these days

Mochica, Chimu

When researching for an art bead that would match both the African and the American collection I was pleasantly surprised when I ended up with Geometric Art (or rather Abstraction). It always interested me why art from peoples in Oceania, the Americas and Africa had so many similarities. And the idea for this design was born. Delving a bit further and amongst my travel pictures I came up with this pattern that is adapted from the patterns the Ndebele people use on their houses. Similar patterns like shown in the bead can be found in Native American art, Aztec artifacts, Northern African houses and even Art Deco.

But we had to draw & decide, and the winner is....


Congratulations!

More about Ndebele art: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ndebele_house_painting
And the people: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Ndebele_people

Congratulations, Fleur!     I *love* these contests because I learn so much   Not to mention all the fabulous Faerybeads that are being created

Congratulation, dear Fleur

Me? Really me?
Thank you so very much!
I feel overwhelmed in a most positive way.

Fleur wrote:Me? Really me?
Thank you so very much!
I feel overwhelmed in a most positive way.

Congratulations, Fleur  It was not easy to find the right answer but you did it