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Portfolio Category: Wood

Wood Daily Life Instruments

Wood Daily Life Instruments
Wood was used for making many things which went from ceremonial to household artifacts, canoes for transportation and houses. One of the techniques for working wood was to burn the inside out of the piece you would prepare. The trick was to keep the fire burning in the right places by blowing on it. When…
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Bone spoons

Bone spoons
Spoon made of bone with anthropomorphic decoration. This artefact was part of the Cohoba ceremony helping to transfer the ground hallucinogen powder from the grinder to a small saucer. From there the powder was snuffed off with an inhaler. The decoration usually represented the zemi that helped the shaman reach a state of ecstasy.
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Wood container

Wood container
Wood container with owl representation. The owl is a bird of ill omen that announces the proximity of death, and inhabits a mythical world. By following the cosmic flight of the owl, the behiques could see and talk to the spirits and enter the region of the dead to rescue the soul of an ailing…
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Wooden snake

Wooden snake
The snake is part of an important mythological triumvirate who dominated the cosmology of the people from the Orinoco-Amazon region. Most of the culture groups who arrived in the Antillean islands originated from this region. The snake exemplified by the anaconda represented the subaquatic world. Since anacondas did not exist in the islands this specie…
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Mortars

Mortars
Here is a wooden burial urn decorated with a human figure. We think it is a result of a cultural mix between Indian and African. During the colonial period, as has been reported by the Spaniards, both groups ran away to the highlands to escape bad working conditions and cruel treatment by the Spanish and…
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Rattles

Rattles
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Double vomiting stick made of bone

Double vomiting stick made of bone
A special object, part of the Cohoba ritual, carved from bone and curved to fit down the throat to help the shaman purge himself. Vomiting accompanied large fasting to help the Cohoba to increase the effect. If inappropriate food was eaten, the shaman would not be able to travel and communicate with the spirits. Inhaling…
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