Embera/Wounaan Tagua Art - Galeria Namu

Tagua Sculpture - Sailfish

Code: ITMA026 Size: 6 1/2" x 5 ½” (17 x 14 cms) Carving is traditionally a male activity among the indigenous Embera and Wounaan of the Darien region of eastern Panama. Historically and up to present times, highly skilled wood carvers among these two Native peoples have been fashioning elegant dugout canoes and shamanic ritual implements (carved staffs) in local rainforest hardwoods. Since the 60's, these carvers turned their attention to carving the potato-sized tagua ("ivory") nut on the suggestion, as it's been anecdotally told - by a biologist working and investigating in the Darien forest years ago. As carving was already a highly developed skill among these two tribes ancestrally, these carvers excelled in creating wonderful (and often, very naturally rendered) figurines in the tagua nut of local flora and fauna endemic to their territory. This particular sculpture - a larger composition requiring several tagua nuts - is a breaching sailfish. This piece's realism is remarkable and the artist gave the sculpture a handsome 'cocobolo' (tropical rosewood) base. Colouring is achieved with india inks and fine quills. All pieces signed by the artist.

Tagua Sculpture - Swallow-tail Butterfly

Code: ITNR025 Size: 4" (10 cms) long This hand carved and inked tagua nut sculpture is so elegant (and naturally posed on the blossom!). The composition features the sublime 'swallow-tail' butterfly, of which exist many sub-species. The coloured regions are achieved with india inks and fine quills. Carving is traditionally a male activity among the indigenous Embera and Wounaan of the Darien region of eastern Panama. Historically and up to present times, highly skilled wood carvers among these two Native peoples have been fashioning elegant dugout canoes and shamanic ritual implements (carved staffs) in local rainforest hardwoods. Since the 60's, these carvers turned their attention to carving the potato-sized tagua ("ivory") nut on the suggestion, as it's been anecdotally told - by a biologist working and investigating in the Darien forest years ago. As carving was already a highly developed skill among these two tribes ancestrally, these carvers excelled in creating wonderful (and often, very naturally rendered) figurines in the tagua nut of local flora and fauna endemic to their territory. All pieces are signed by the artist.

Tagua Sculpture - Red-eyed Green Tree frog and Heliconia

Code: ITNR023 Size: 3 3/4" (9.5 cms) tall This small, intricate sculpture is a realistic rendering of a red-eyed green tree frog resting upon a heliconia plant. The artist consciously has left the natural tagua nut base exposed alongside the remarkable, naturalistic sculpted rendering of this amphibian and forest plant. The coloured regions is achieved with india inks and fine quills. Carving is traditionally a male activity among the indigenous Embera and Wounaan of the Darien region of eastern Panama. Historically and up to present times, highly skilled wood carvers among these two Native peoples have been fashioning elegant dugout canoes and shamanic ritual implements (carved staffs) in local rainforest hardwoods. Since the 60's, these carvers turned their attention to carving the potato-sized tagua ("ivory") nut on the suggestion, as it's been anecdotally told - by a biologist working and investigating in the Darien forest years ago. As carving was already a highly developed skill among these two tribes ancestrally, these carvers excelled in creating wonderful (and often, very naturally rendered) figurines in the tagua nut of local flora and fauna endemic to their territory.

Tagua Sculpture - Hummingbird Ball

Code: ITNB021 Size: 3 1/4" (8.25 cm) diameter What a tour de force - the specific talent and fame of this Wounaan carver, Idalgo Piraza, is his able to carve in one single tagua nut, multiple animals. This is his 'hummingbird ball'. Carving is traditionally a male activity among the indigenous Embera and Wounaan of the Darien region of eastern Panama. Historically and up to present times, highly skilled wood carvers among these two Native peoples have been fashioning elegant dugout canoes and shamanic ritual implements (carved staffs) in local rainforest hardwoods. Since the 60's, these carvers turned their attention to carving the potato-sized tagua ("ivory") nut on the suggestion, as it's been anecdotally told - by a biologist working and investigating in the Darien forest years ago. As carving was already a highly developed skill among these two tribes ancestrally, these carvers excelled in creating wonderful (and often, very naturally rendered) figurines in tagua nut of local flora and fauna endemic to their territory. All pieces are signed by the artist

Tagua Sculpture - Howler Monkey Mother with Young

Code: ITNM018 Size: 4" (10 cms) tall Carving is traditionally a male activity among the indigenous Embera and Wounaan of the Darien region of eastern Panama. Historically and up to present times, highly skilled wood carvers among these two Native peoples have been fashioning elegant dugout canoes and shamanic ritual implements (carved staffs) in local rainforest hardwoods. Since the 70's, these carvers turned their attention to carving the potato-sized tagua ("ivory") nut on the suggestion, as it's been anecdotally told - by a biologist working and investigating in the Darien forest years ago. As carving was already a highly developed skill among these two tribes ancestrally, these carvers excelled in creating wonderful (and often, very naturally rendered) figurines of local flora and fauna endemic to their territory. This remarkable rendering of a howler monkey mother and young in a tree eating fruit is so precious, capturing so naturally these animals and their natural poses among their forest surroundings. All pieces are signed by the artist