Kuna art and shamanism

Book Description

Through the intricate wooden carvings of the Kuna people of Panama, anthropologist Paolo Fortis reveals a profound spiritual world where art serves as a bridge between the seen and unseen realms. While the Kuna are widely celebrated for their vibrant textiles, their sacred wooden sculptures called nuchukana have remained largely hidden from scholarly attention until now.

These anthropomorphic carvings emerge from the hands of skilled elderly men who carry decades of embodied wisdom about life's transformations. Far more than decorative objects, these sculptures pulse with spiritual significance, playing essential roles in healing ceremonies and connecting communities to the deeper mysteries of existence. Each carving represents a meditation on what it truly means to be human, embodying the culture's complete understanding of consciousness and knowing.

Fortis guides readers through a rich tapestry of Kuna cosmology where these wooden figures stand at the center of relationships that weave together people, spirits, and the natural world. The carving process itself becomes a sacred act, channeling the wisdom of immortal primordial beings into mortal form. Through birth rituals, death ceremonies, dream work, and healing practices, these sculptures illuminate the delicate dance between soul and body, internal essence and external appearance.

This exploration offers contemporary readers insights into indigenous ways of understanding personhood, spirituality, and our interconnection with all life, revealing timeless wisdom about the unity underlying apparent oppositions.

Kuna art and shamanism

Book Description

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