Mother Earth Protecting Her Children
Mother Earth is fiercely protecting her children, with her protective aspect shown here with a forehead shield and curving horns. Her craggy, earthy face and surround are dyed a rich warm brown with walnut hulls from a neighbor's trees. The head shield has a curving series of black needle-felted lines that articulate the curve of the half-domed shape. The horns grow from the central shield, and surround the upper part of the head, curving out into softly pointed horns at the level of her ears.
The face is handwoven in Merrill's Zati method, of natural Maine island wool dyed with walnut hulls. These fleshy coverings of walnuts can be used to produce dyes from tan to nearly black. Mother Earth has a lock of hair showing beneath the headdress, also of natural island wool dyed with walnut hulls. Surrounding the temples and the back of the headdress are shapes of black merino wool, wet-felted into a volume, and the back arch is lined with a natural white island ruff of locks of un-spun wool. The whole face and surround are wet-felted onto a white merino cloche-like headpiece for wearing as a theatrical or ceremonial mask.