by Donovan
In the spring, I was on a True Blood bender. Lafayette is my favorite character and his home, with its various religious symbols, plus a prominent Virgin Mary shrine, as well his general attraction to a mutation of magic and mysticism in the sticky South, got me thinking about Voodoo, a mixture of African and Christian religions, which eventually led me to Haitian Vodou Flags.
As seen here in photos from the home of folk art collectors, the flags are hand sequined and each design presents mosaic-style images of different gods that inhabit the Vodou spirit world.
And here's another from the Museum of Craft and Folk Art in LA.
The flags are fascinating to me -- the symbolism, and also the use of sequins! The sparkle adds such an unexpected and reverential quality to them. They can be quite expensive, but another way to have a little Vodou in your home is with these papier mache ornaments. Proceeds go to Haitian relief.
The one on the right represents Papa Legba, guardian of the crossroads. I'm feeling particularly drawn to him these days!
