Description
Strange Creature
These woven masks of split chunga palm leaf colored with natural dyes are created by Emberá (a related, but distinct tribe from the Wounaan) basket weavers. Originally these masks, inspired by the jaibaná (medicine people or shamans), were carved from balsa wood that hung within the interior of a dwelling where healing rituals took place. Some masks are representations of fantastic beings, whereas others are recognizable animals. This particular mask is somwhere between! The mask is a strange creature indeed – some type of mammalian anyway!
- Tribe: Emberá, Panama
- Type of Basket: Wall Mask
- Size: 7″ (18,25 cm) across
