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Latin and
Caribbean Art:
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Shipibo Cross Vase by Zoyla Escobar
Click on picture for details.
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The Shipibo/Conibo Indians consist of around 35,000 people
living in three to four hundred villages located north and south of the town of Pucallpa
on the Ucayali River, which connects Cuzco, Peru, to the Brazilian Amazon.
They speak a language of the Panoan family, though some of them are starting to learn
Spanish. Most tribe members speak Shipibo language. They are striving today to
preserve their culture while earning economic self sufficiency.
The Shipibo/Conibos are primarily hunters and fishermen, using some slash and burn
farming, and still today none of the villages use electricity; machetes and spears are the
primary tools. All of the villages use barter for trade, but their proximity to the
burgeoning town of Pucallpa makes it inevitable that the people will soon be drawn into
modern trade and exploitation.
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Despite 300 years of sporadic contact with white or mestizo civilization and massive
conversion to Christianity in the 1950's and 60's, the Shipibo/Conibos maintain a strong
identity and retain their ancient ways. They are known for their intricate, geometric
designs on their pottery and their intricately hand-woven clothing. The Field
Museum of Natural History in Chicago is conducting studies in the area and about the
Shipibo Indians in an effort to help them in their cultural and environmental preservation
efforts.
Their pottery was initially used as containers to preserve food. The sophisticated
designs and geometric patterns of the ceramics are passed from one generation of artists
to another. The pieces are extremely soft and light, and their technique is all done
by hand without the use of pottery wheels. |
Shipibo Red Lips by Zoyla Escobar
Click on picture for details. |
Shipibo Human by Zoyla Escobar
Click on picture for details. |
Their art form is barely understood. To the artists, it is
not taught, they are inspired to create their unique patterns. The women in
the village are the artists. Each woman seem to be moved by the same artistic spirit
as one woman would need to interrupt her work and assign another woman in the village to
complete a particular vase, and when finished, the piece will look like coming from the
same, single artist. It is communal art at its finest.
Many theories abound about the meaning of the intricate Shipibo geometric patterns.
Some consider it an ancient language form, a mapping of the rivers in the Amazonia, or the
shapes of the Anaconda. While anthropologists may not be able to agree on this, what
art lovers can appreciate is the beautiful design, the soft curves and pristine yet
authentic look of the Shipido ceramics.
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At
ElCoquiGalleries.com we are pleased to offer the following pieces from Zoyla
Escobar. If the piece has been sold recently, please be patient with us. Since
we work with the artists, we’ll be able to provide another similar piece… it may
just take a few weeks. The pieces come directly from the artist, through the Amazon
jungle, crossing the river in a canoe, traveling in rough roads to a local main
city. It’s worth the wait.
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