Shop Gallery - Galeria Namu

Gallery
Authentic Indigenous and Folk Arts of Central America
INDIGENOUS BRUNKA MASKS & MASK ARTS
For centuries, the indigenous Brunka people of the Pacific watershed of southern Costa Rica have been carving masks for ceremony, Such ceremonial masks, worn in their venerable and annually celebrated: 'Danza/juego de los Diablitos, are the used/worn masks seen here first in the Brunka mask collection listed. The term 'Brunka Mask Arts' refers to the contemporary designs and mask forms seen in the collection. These compositions are individual artists' interpretations and creative exploration into their deeply rooted, ancestral mask tradition.
INDIGENOUS EMBERA & WOUNAAN BASKETWORK
Arguably, the finest traditional basketwork on Earth, the indigenous Embera and Wounaan basket weavers are women creating woven masterpieces within communities surrounded by rainforest in the Darien region of eastern Panama. Their ancestral basketmaking tradition, weaving stripped and dried wild chunga palm leaf (left natural as well as dyed strands) has evolved into a high art form. Even today, however, in their villages, besides these fine, high art baskets, weavers are still weaving handsome and sturdy work baskets for recollection and agricultural labour.
INDIGENOUS EMBERA & WOUNAAN TAGUA ARTS
The men of the Embera and Wounaan indigenous groups of the dense rainforests and abundant riverways of the Darien region of eastern Panama, have ancestrally carved graceful wooden utilitarian and sacred objects from local hardwood species. From elegant dugout canoes to the polished healing staffs of their medicine men, carving is
clearly in their DNA .Once the idea took hold to carve the ivory-like material found in the endemic, ungerminated ,'tagua' palm nut, this pastime spread to all of the villages. Often using homemade knives and blades, the finesse and technique seen in these detailed figure carvings of local flora and fauna, showcases the abounding natural talent of these artists.
MISCELLANEOUS INDIGENOUS TRIBAL ARTS
At Galeria Namu, we are proud to have in the collection an array of carefully chosen indigenous arts from the 8 aboriginal groups of Costa Rica, as well as fine examples of tribal indigenous arts from Costa Rica's neighbours: Panama, Nicaragua and Honduras. On the ethnographic map found in the Menu Bar, one can learn more about the names
and territories of the indigenous groups of lower Central America featured in this section.
PRE-COLUMBIAN COSTA RICA
Museum-quality replicas of the Pre-Columbian objects, in gold, jade, pottery and stone, that one can see in the national museums of San Jose, Costa Rica. These are expertly created reproductions by craftsmen who Costa Rica's national museums still contract for their fine craftsmanship, knowledge and expertise These objects are faithful replicas of authentic Pre-Columbian pieces from the collections of the Museo Nacional, Museo de Jade and the Museo de Oro Pre-Colombino in Costa Rica's capital city.
SELECTED COSTA RICAN FOLK ARTS
Carefully selected folk arts and artes populares of Costa Rica representing an amalgam of the country's demographic landscape. The featured artists are men and women who are working either in collective studios/workshops, as a family, or individually. Galeria Namu chooses which folk arts to feature in our collections according to quality of
technical execution, a clear desire to depict the lifeways, landscapes, flora and fauna, as well as the peculiarities of Costa Rica and its various communities, such as:
Campesina communities, Afro-Caribbean traditions, Central Valley criollo lifeways, Women artist collectives, etc.