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Heliconia plant, basket, Wounaan Tribe, palm fiber, natural dyes, red, black

$4,250
£3,227.13
€3,690.46
CA$5,937.87
A$6,604.20
CHF 3,448.51
MX$80,366.13
NOK 44,042.73
SEK 41,304.31
DKK 27,543.31
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About the Item

Heliconia plant, basket, Wounaan Tribe, palm fiber, natural dyes, red, black The baskets are made by the Wounaan and Embera Indians from the Darien Rainforest in Panama. The Wounaan believe they emerged from the palm tree. They weave baskets from palm fiber and use natural dyes. The dyes are made from wood, plants, and earth. Achieving a particular color takes weeks. The rainforest baskets are of the highest quality to be found anywhere in the world. Comparable to the North American Pomo and Panamint baskets, widely considered the best weavers in the world. The Wounaan and Embera are the finest weavers working today. The area in which they live is extremely remote and dangerous to reach. From Panama City, it may take between two to five days by plane and boat. There is guerrilla activity, drug smuggling, and wildlife to complicate travel to this region. Since 1993, Glenn Green Galleries has exhibited these beautiful works of art. Our supplier is the third generation of his family to work with this tribe and to encourage their crafts. The Wounaan and Embera Indians from the Darien jungles of Panama are talented artists and are famous for weaving beautiful baskets. The baskets range from simple utilitarian to prize masterpieces that are intricate in design and complex in the weave. The basket colors are all 100 percent natural and are extracted from fruits, leaves, tree bark, and other natural products found in the jungle. The dye process is painstakingly tedious and often requires weeks to obtain a particular color. The motifs are Atlantic Native American Indian designs and used throughout the Western Hemisphere (including what is now the American Southwest) in pre-Columbian pottery and rock drawings. Today, both sexes of the Wounaan and Embera Indians continue to use any of the basket designs in their body painting and tattooing ceremonies. The Darien cultures of the Wounaan and Embera Indians are intact and many tribesmen live today just as their ancestors did when Europeans came to the Americas. The Wounaan and Embera Indians continue to live harmoniously with nature in Darien Rainforests and have few skills to cope with the demands of the encroaching modern world. The purchase of these unique baskets provides an alternative, yet direct, income, to the Wounaan and Embera Indians, and further protects the Darien Rainforest. Glenn Green Galleries, established in 1966 is proud to exhibit the fine weavings of the Wounaan and Embera Tribes of Panama. The gallery’s primary focus is to promote the artwork of artists we admire.
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 10 in (25.4 cm)Diameter: 10 in (25.4 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Santa Fe, NM
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU19129708892

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