This textile collection belongs to the Iskonawa people, a very small ethnic group that live around the Ucayali region, near the Callería river, with only 25 people identifying themselves as Iskonawa. The designs are hand-painted using the yacoshapana bark and riverside clay.
The patterns on the textiles are an extension of what used to be their body paint and the decoration on some artifacts from their material culture. Despite these traditions not having been transmitted over a long period of time, young women from the Iskonawa village have recently shown interest to register and re-learn the designs, as well as to continue drawing them on the artifacts they produce today.
Dimensions (approximate): 145cm x 156cm
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The Iskonawa designs are characterized by zigzag strokes, which in their language are called "kere kere". According to the elders, the designs do not have specific meanings; however, they show a relationship with nature, such as the skin of the snake or the cone hill.
The designs found on their textiles and some of their artifacts are called kene, a term also used by other indigenous peoples who speak Pano languages to refer to 'their own'. The Iskonawa drawings in particular are characterized by zigzag strokes, which in their language are called kere kere.
In the past, the designs bore their distinctive placement on bodies and objects, which is why their names are associated with these aspects and not with the specific form of the strokes. The designs we find on the textiles today are representations of these iconographies.
According to the Iskonawa elders, the designs do not have a meaning; however, they show a relationship with nature, for example, some are inspired by the skin of the heamitsa 'snake' or the shapes of the roebiri 'The Cone Hill'.
Wood carving
Carving is a technique that the men use to shape certain woods (e.g. wanin ' pijuayo', paka ' bamboo') drawing upon certain objects from daily life. These include arrows, which the Iskonawa would make for hunting; one of their most emblematic activities. Stones, shells or animal teeth could be used for carving; however, nowadays, the machete or knife is used as a more effective tool.
