Green & Orange Feathers Wounaan Basket
 
The Panama-based Wounaan weavers of these museum-quality "Hӧsig Di" (finest baskets) are one of the few indigenous cultures in the world creating contemporary woven art today.  They are artisans whose spectacular decorative and collectible masterpieces take several months, and as much as 3-4 years or more to complete.
 
Each unique basket starts with coil of bundled fibers from the naguala palm.  Around this coil are "woven", using a sewing needle, threadlike strands of "chunga", the black palm fiber that is sun bleached and then boiled with leaves, flowers, fruits, or roots to achieve over two dozen natural colors.
 
Designs are categorized as either "cultural" or "pictorial".  Geometric designs are cultural, reflecting Wounaan ceremonial body tattoo, patterned after pre-Columbian rock art and pottery.  Pictorial designs depict stylized parrots, toucans, macaw, hummingbirds, marlin, orcas, spiders, jaguars, sloths, monkeys, iguanas, exotic flowers and trees.
 
Basket making, an important hedge against bordering Columbian guerillas and drug-trafficking in Wounaan territory, also provides money for medicine and education, which enables the Wounaan people to be more proactive about saving their rainforest and protecting thier way of life.