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Made with love to our culture
If you come to visit us, rest assured that you will leave with a smile, many memories, and knowledge about our culture, environment, and way of life.
We are proud of who we are, and we are especially proud to share who we are with you, our visitors. Most importantly, tourism has sparked a renaissance in our traditional Emberá arts and culture.
Most importantly, tourism has sparked a renaissance in our traditional Emberá arts and culture. By coming to visit us, you are supporting our survival and development.
Tagua (vegetable ivory) comes from a palm tree that grows approximately 8 feet tall. In 1946, ivory was used to make and export buttons. The vegetable ivory tree can be found in the Panama Canal Zone.
There are three parts: the shell, which is the outer covering of the ivory, and inside it can have 6 to 12 nuts, depending on the size. When the ivory is new, the inner part is edible. In the first stage of growth, it contains water and is drinkable. The second stage of growth is similar to that of a coconut. After it hardens, it can be worked and carved.
The ivory can be harvested after a few years. The nuts fall and are collected in baskets by the Embera. An ivory carving goes through many processes. First, the Embera artisan must remove the shell. Then, the inner part is scraped. The artisan must then mentally prepare a design to carve, drawing inspiration from the different species of birds and animals. The carver uses a small chisel to carve the design.
Within the tropical rainforest of Panama, there are many plants and trees. One of the most important to mention is the chunga palm, or “jiwa” in the Embera dialect. It is a palm tree that grows very tall and has many thorns.
The chunga palm is widely used for its leaves and also for its trunk, which serves as a post in a traditional Embera home. Embera women, as a legacy from their ancestors, have learned to weave beautiful baskets with the leaf fibers.
How to obtain and work with chunga fibers:
First, the heart of the chunga plant is cut and collected. Then, the Embera women bring the leaf home and place it in water so it doesn’t dry out in the sun. One leaf has four fibers.
After all the fibers are obtained, the chunga palm is cooked to remove its natural green color. After cooking, the leaves are placed in the sun to dry. The women leave them overnight so they turn white with the dew from the open air.
They can then create many different colors. The red comes from achiote (Bixa orellana), the yellow from yuquilla (Schefflera gleasonii), and the black from cocobolo wood and black earth. All these colors are obtained by cooking the fibers with the material. These colors do not fade or stain.
Cocobolo, a wood that comes from a tropical tree, is very important to the Embera people. Cocobolo carvings are made with great delicacy. The shape is inspired by the many different animal species. It is common to see works of birds, forest animals, and reeds. All the work is done by hand. Children from age 7 to adults are dedicated to cocobolo carving.
The cocobolo tree grows in the tropics of Panama. It can grow as tall as approximately 30 meters. It is a very strong and termite-resistant wood. It is also used to make drums or to make a post in a traditional Embera house.
An axe is used to cut the tree. A piece of cocobolo wood, before finishing, can weigh up to 1 kilogram. After finishing, it typically weighs half a pound.
To finish the wood, Embera men use sandpaper of different varieties to give it its pleasant shine. The wood has a pleasant, natural luster. A cocobolo carving is often passed down through generations of families.
Remnants of cocobolo wood are very useful to Embera women because of its color, which can be used to dye chunga fibers. Cocobolo can be black, yellow, or striped with black.
Traditionally, the beads used by the Emberá were made of rocks, seeds, and animal teeth. Today, the Emberá maintain this tradition but use plastic beads purchased at a store in Panama City.
To make a beaded item, a minimum of 5 cm of cotton thread is used. Beads of different colors are then used to sew the item.
The designs made by Emberá women are inspired by nature. They also make geometric and traditional designs, learned from their ancestors. Various items made include:
- Bracelets
- Necklaces
- Earrings
- Traditional breastplates, adorned with silver and silver, worn by Emberá women
- Unisex beaded crowns
The Emberá people prefer strong, vibrant colors. Designs are passed down from one generation to the next; therefore, Emberá women don’t need a book to weave their work.