Dimensions (height x width x depth) : 9 x 18 x 19 cm
Weight : 90 g
Origin : Amazon (Brazil)
History : The Tikuna are the most numerous indigenous people in the Brazilian Amazon, also occupying the Amazon regions of Peru and Colombia, with a total of around 50,000 individuals. With a history marked by violent conflicts with rubber tappers, fishermen and loggers in the Solimões river region (including the enslavement of several communities until the 1940s by rubber tappers!), it was only in the 1990s that the Tikuna achieved official recognition of the majority of its lands. Today they face the challenge of ensuring their economic and environmental sustainability, as well as improving relations with the surrounding society while keeping their rich culture alive. It is no coincidence that the masks, drawings, paintings and crafts of these people gained international repercussion.
Gourds (or cuítes) are important utensils in the daily lives of several indigenous peoples, whether for carrying or storing food or being used as spoons or cups. They are light objects of varying shapes and sizes that symbolize the resistance of the forest people. Gourds ('ngawe' in the Tikuna language) are the dried fruit of different species of trees in the Bignoniaceae family. The fruits are cut in half and, after drying, they are decorated with motifs of animals from the region or with typical Tikuna graphics, using sharp instruments.
Find out more about the Tikuna at https://pib.socioambiental.org...
Note : Because they are produced by hand, each piece is unique, with no two being exactly the same. There may be small variations in dimensions (more or less), colors and tones between the pieces and between what is perceived on cell phone or computer screens and the real pieces. If you have any questions about any details, send us a message and we will be happy to resolve them.
