Hands Around the World

Indian Cultures from Around the World

Guahibo Indians

Guahibo (Guajibo, Wahibo):

Area: Orinoco River from Caicaro de Orinoco on the upper Orinoco, Amazonas and Apure State - Plains. (Map).

Population (1982): 5,000 in Venezuela; 15,000 in Colombia; 20,000 total.

Language Root: Arawakan, Guahiban. The Guahiban languages may not be within Arawakan.

 

Guahibo Indians (Gwah-hee-boh) live in the Amazon Basin of South America. Both men and women make a variety of handcrafts. The women make dolls from bark and fiber, decorated with seeds. They also weave baskets and hair barrettes using a coil technique with  fibers found in the rain forest as well as traditional skirts and dresses with cloth made of pounded palm fibers. The women also make back packs and various kinds of bags using knotting techniques with palm fibers. The Guahibo men are accomplished wood carvers, carving ritual weapons or sculptures. The Guahibo have been affiliated with the Catholic Church for some time and their art often reflects a religious theme.

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Guahibo shaman Antonio Mejia and granddaughter - 2006

Guahibos - photos by Mary Lou Walbergh - 2006

This hand made Indian dress is made by pounding the inner fiber palm bark until it is fabric-like. It can then be cut and stitched. This dress is decorated at the neck with natural dyed fibers stitched onto the bark. Making clothing from palm bark is becoming a lost art.

Guahibo wood carver

This bag is knotted in an extremely fine pattern. The bottom of the bag is made with the coil technique. The bottom is 7 1/2' in diameter. The body of the bag is 10" tall not including the long strap.		This is a back pack that is made from palm fibers using the finger knotting technique similar to how they made hammocks. It is large with two shoulder straps in the back and a small coiled bottom. The body of the bag measures 18" not including straps.
This beautiful little bag is hand knotted. The body of the bag measures 7 1/2" tall and 7" wide.		This finger knotted bag has an oval coiled bottom that continues up to make stiff sides before the knotting begins. The oval bottom measures 8" x 5 1/2". The knotted part is another 4 inches up to the long strap.

Beautifully hand coiled large Guahibo tray measures 18 1/2" by 8 1/2".

The Guahibo Indians use a coil technique with a local grass fiber to produce their interesting baskets.

Woven "Cat Mat" - 9 1/2" tall	12 3/4" wide
14 1/2" wide	10 1/4" wide

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	These basketry hair barrettes are hand woven and dyed with natural dyes by the Guahibo Indians of the Amazon rain forest. A carved stick, usually of Brazil wood, hold the barrette in place, approximately 4" by 2 1/2".
	These unusual hair barrettes are made by the Guahibo Indians using their traditional coil techniques. Average stick length is 7", average width of woven part 4".
	These dolls are hand made and feature dresses of pounded bark or loose or woven fibers. These dolls include a fiber string on the head so that the little girls can "put them away" by hanging them with the other family belongings. They average from 7 1/2" to 10" tall.

These dolls feature a woven dress of fiber. They average from 8" to 10" tall.		These dolls feature dresses made of pounded bark cloth. They average from 8" to 10" tall.		These larger bark cloth dolls are of mothers with a baby. They average from 10" to 12" tall.

Guahibo monkey doll made of fibers with a hand knotted covering, very unusual. 17" tall.

Guahibo Pottery figure with hand painted details.

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Hand carved wooden crucifix on a hand made fiber cord. Hangs 14" in length, crucifix is approx. 1" x 1 1/2".

Guahibo hand made necklaces of seeds hang to approx. 13"

With monkey tooth.
	With monkey tooth.

Rattles are made of calabash gourds and trimmed with feathers.

They are used for sacred ceremonies and dances.

Approx. 15" tall.	Approx. 14 1/2" tall.

Both Guahibo men and women make a variety of handicrafts. The men hunt with both bow and arrows and blowguns. They are also skilled in the making of these weapons. They make small blowguns for the hunting of birds and larger ones for mammals.

These small Guahibo blowguns are decoratively covered with a type of woven plant fibers.

Featured Artist

Jesus Morales (left)

Jesus Morales is a Guahibo Indian living in the village of Coromoto. Jesus carves beautiful busts of Christ, crucifixes, and rosaries from the heartwood of a tree plentiful in the rain forest called the Brazil tree. The heartwood is a beautiful red color. He carves very large crucifixes suitable for churches down to a 12-inch size. Jesus has been carving for nine years, carrying on a tradition that he learned from an older man in the village.

 

Additional Information

Modern Alphabets

Guahibo language

Guahibo and Chiricoa - Britannica.com

IFAD through Photography - Colombia

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