Embera/Wounaan Tagua Art - Galeria Namu

Tagua Sculpture - Tropical Harbour Porpoise

Code: ITMA027 Size: 4 3/4" x 3 ½”tall (12 x 9 cms) This realistic composition features the diminutive San Miguel Gulf (Pacific Coast, Panama) porpoise. 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 - Scorpion

Code: ITNR024 Size: 4" (9 3/4 cms) long 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 depicts an aggressive scorpion - so realistic it gives one the chills! Colouring is acheived with india inks and fine quills. All pieces are signed by the artist

Tagua Sculpture - Iguana Pair

Code: ITNR022 Size: 3 3/4" (9.5 cms) long 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 is a single-nut composition of an iguana pair. The artist consciously has left the natural tagua nut exposed alongside the remarkable, naturalistic sculpted rendering of these two reptiles. The coloured regions, the two iguanas, is achieved with india inks and fine quills. All pieces are signed by the artist.

Tagua Sculpture - Perched Harpy Eagle

Code: ITNB020 Size: 5" (13 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 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 is a perched harpy eagle. Even its plumage is in bas-relief. All pieces signed by the artist.