Hour-glass shaped wicker stand that twists in the centre. Thin strips of palm wood are loosely woven to form a circular top and bottom. Braided vine is tied around the base and rim to secure the palm wood.

Small broom with a short handle made of eight tightly woven braids. Loose strips of palm fibre have been split to make the bristles of the broom head. A black piece of rope is tied around the base and top of the handle, perhaps to hang the broom.

Small oblong basket with a rounded bottom and rim and a braided handle attached to the centre of the coiled rim. The ribs of the basket appear to be made of split bamboo wrapped with raffia. The raffia is primarily in its natural colour, but there are two dark blue dyed raffia rows woven around the central area. There is a maker/sale tag attached to the handle.

Museum Expedition 1930, Robert B. Woodward Memorial Fund and the Museum Collection Fund

Among the Tukano of the northwestern Amazon, stories abound of visits to the animal world, of people turning into animals to learn about their habits, and of animals teaching men how to utilize certain resources. Shamanic knowledge contains detailed descriptions of these encounters, and many shamans, or payés, claim to have acquired wisdom from animals that revealed an unexpected food source or a cure for illness. This necklace with finely carved animal and human figurines may have been worn by a payé to acknowledge this relationship.


Entre los Tukano del Noreste Amazónico, abundan las historias de visitas al mundo animal, de gente que se convierte en animales para aprender sus hábitos, y de animales enseñando a los hombres cómo utilizar ciertos recursos. El conocimiento chamánico contiene descripciones detalladas de estos encuentros, y muchos chamanes, o payés, dicen haber adquirido sabiduría de los animales para encontrar comida en algún lugar inesperado, o curas para enfermedades. Este collar con figurillas humanas y animales finamente talladas puede haber sido usado por un payé en reconocimiento de esta relación.

Natural rafia fibres twined and woven into a band with long two-ply twined fringe at one end is looped together end to end.

Small round basketry-covered gourd container with round opening and a thin twined string handle.

Almost square, textured cloth. Cropped woven raffia in a pattern of yellow and brown diamond shapes, with a fringe all around edges.

A deep coiled circular basket (part a) with a lid (part b). The main design consists of alternating vertical bands of purple, red, natural, and black colours. The lid (part b) is conical with a straight inner rim which fits into the basket.

Cape composed of palm fibres sewn together with a twined fibre rope. The ends of the palm fibres hang loose at the bottom. The cape has two twined rope loops at the sides of the top and a twined tie at the centre.