Dimensions (height x diameter): 5 x 50 cm
Weight : 0.33 kg
Origin : Baniwa ethnic group - Amazon (Border of Brazil with Colombia and Venezuela)
History : The Baniwa (read Baniuá) live in villages in the northern Amazon region, on the border of Brazil with Colombia and Venezuela. They are excellent at making baskets using the stem of the arumã (an herbaceous plant), vines, dyes and natural fixatives. Basketry is rich in graphics, and this ancient art has been passed down through generations. Each drawing has a specific representation, which can be a drawing of a type of beetle, the trail of an animal or simply a representation of a movement made by indigenous people in their daily tasks.
The baskets (“waláya” in the native language) are made with arumã straw. In the forest, they select only the stems in good condition and perform the first scraping to remove the green skin. The dyeing is done with ash, which gives the black color, and with annatto fruit, which gives the reddish color. After dyeing, the arumã still needs to be shredded and opened into thinner rods for braiding. For each piece, 150 to 200 splints are used, which are braided into the most diverse patterns.
The “waláya” appear in the mythology and initiation rituals of Baniwa girls and boys. Traditionally, boys learn to make baskets of this type and offer them to their ritual friends at the end of the period of seclusion. The Baniwa use “waláya makapóko” (= large baskets), to collect the cassava dough (before and after squeezing it into the tipiti) and to serve beijú and flour at meals, and it also serves as a support for presenting fruits and other foods. .
This basket is considered by Baniwa artisans to be the most laborious, especially due to the finishing required for the eaves. There are several types of finishing: in natural arumã or just scraped without dyeing, with colored or inlaid graphics on one or both sides.
Find out more about the Baniwa 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 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.
