Two Antique Vintage Rainforest Panamanian Weaved Baskets Set with Animals For Sale

This product is a set of two antique/vintage Wounaan Indigenous Rainforest Panamanian weaved baskets. The baskets are handmade by artisans, showcasing the rich cultural heritage of their indigenous tribes. With their unique origins and artisanal craftsmanship, these baskets offer a glimpse into the traditional craftsmanship and artistry of indigenous communities from decades gone by.
Antique/Vintage WOUNAAN INDIAN RAINFOREST Baskets Panamawith Geometric & Animal Designs. Pristine Condition. ANTIQUE/VINTAGEWOUNAAN INDIAN PANAMANIAN RAINFOREST BASKETS WITH GEOMETRIC AND ANIMAL DESIGNS;BLACK DESIGNS ON TAN BACKGROUND

The Wounaan are a remote indigenous tribe of Indians thatinhabit the Panamanian Darien wilderness rainforest; one the last untouchedforest regions in the world. While the tribe’s male Wounaan Panama RainforestIndians fish, hunt, and farm, the women are busy weaving some of the finestbaskets in the world. Their habitat ismostly without roads and electrical conveniences and their baskets are thetribes main means of income and livelihood enabling them to continue theirculture in times when the modern world is encroaching upon their territory withincreasing deforestation.

The weavers utilize native plant fibers primarily from theChunga Palm Tree as coils and threads for their baskets; the preparation andcoloring of these materials is a laborious process taking many many months tocomplete. The fiber from the BlackChunga Palm has to be skinned off from the leaf membrane and split intovoluminous thin threads, sun dried, and then dyed in various bright colors withsoils, barks, and varied plant extracts and juices. Then they have to simmer enough threads withvaried plant juices to dye the voluminous threads needed to weave a basket tocompletion. Just the preparation of the threads alone required to complete abasket can take many months. The coilsof the baskets are made with a dried plant fiber called “Nahuala”, which hasthe thickness of a spaghetti noodle. The preparation of the fibers alone cantake up to three to four months; then the larger baskets over 12” can take upto two years to complete. The art of basket making referred to as "hosigdi" has been handed down fromWounaan mothers and grandmothers to their offspring for decades.

The bottom of the basket is started first by knottingtogether a bundle of nahuala fibers; the women then stitch Chunga thread aroundthe knotting with a needle. The coil issecured by sewing threads and stitching them to a previous coil; and thespiraling stitching technique continues until the basket is completed whileutilizing many varied colored threads to create the intricate designs in theirbaskets. The earliest baskets were blackand white or black and tan. The newerbaskets have incredibly colorful scenes with insects, animals, life in thevillage, birds, florals, human forms and geometric designs. They utilize two kinds of stiches silk(produced by using the needle in the middle of the coil and the rib stitchwhere the needle is utilized in the middle of the coil producing a distinctridge on the basket. The rib stitch is used to achieve a finer stitch; themaster weavers have to split the threads thinner and thinner to achieve a silkyfeel to them, which could have up to 1000 stitches per square inch. The weavingis so tight that the baskets can hold water. The baskets I am offering todayfrom my private collection have a smooth silk-like feel when you rub yourfinger across the surface of the baskets and decorated with ancient human andgeometric designs. Each basket is handcrafted and one of a kind. Both of these baskets have been carefullydisplayed and are in near mint condition.

Measurements:

Animal Figure Basket:23.5” diameter around body; rim opening across 5 5/8”; neck 16”around;height 6.5”; base c. 5” across

Geometric Figure Basket: 21.5” diameter around body; rimopening 4.5”across; neck 12”around; height 9.25”; base c. 3.75” across

SHIPPED PRIORITY MAIL; INSURED; PACKAGED WITH CARE

WILL BE SHIPPED IN TWO SEPARATE LARGE PRIORITY BOXES $58.80

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