There is something about old Volkswagen automobiles that gave it the Woodstock vibes, or the extra fairly tale kind of vintage flair. Here’s another one that is kind of both. It’s a 1990 Volkswagen Beetle covered with over two million glass beads, called “Vochol”.
The name “Vochol” is portmanteau of “vocho,” a common terms for VW Beetles in Mexico, and “Huichol,” another name for the Wixárika indigenous group in the western states of Nayarit and Jalisco, Mexico.
So, yeah, the Vochol is covered in the Huichol people’s traditional art and man, it look absolutely gorgeous. It is possibly the most intricate and meticulous crafted VW ever.
However, in the case of Vochol, it has glass beads as opposed to traditional beads made from seeds, shells and other natural materials. It is a pre-Columbian traditional art that has been used to decorate jewelry, animal skulls, bowls and masks.
The artwork formed by colorful glass beads on this car, which spans the exterior from the side mirrors to the seats and steering wheel in the cabin, features symbols that pay tribute to Huichol culture.
We shan’t regurgitate what you already can see from the images, but if you really need a description, here’s official description:
“On the Vochol’s hood, two snakes in the clouds represent rain. The sides depict deer, scorpions, birds and peyote flowers, which are all important symbols in Huichol culture and spirituality. On the roof, a large sun symbolizes the union between humans and gods, and four two-headed eagles offer protection to the passengers inside. An image of a shaman steering a canoe adorns the back of the car. The phrases “200 years of Independence” and “100 years since the Mexican Revolution” are spelled out in the Wixárika language along the fenders to mark the bicentennial of the start of the war of independence from Spain in 1810 and the centennial of the Mexican Revolution in 1910.”
The car was created in 2010. A team of eight artists from two Huichol families worked for eight months to result what you see here. All told, the artisans hand decorated the car with around 2,277,000 beads which took over 9,000 hours. The Vochol is likely the largest single Huichol beadwork ever created.
All images courtesy of Volkswagen Group.
