Vintage Ye'kuana Indigenous Venezuelan Amazon Wa'pa Basket Tray, Hand-Woven Geometric Pattern, Natural Plant Fiber

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A museum-quality hand-woven basket tray made by the Ye'kuana people of the Venezuelan Amazon, one of the most celebrated indigenous … Read more A museum-quality hand-woven basket tray made by the Ye'kuana people of the Venezuelan Amazon, one of the most celebrated indigenous weaving traditions in the world. This form, known as a Wa'pa or Guapa, is a large flat circular tray used in daily Ye'kuana life for food preparation, specifically the processing of cassava, the staple root that forms the foundation of Amazonian diet and culture.

The Ye'kuana are an indigenous group living in the Venezuelan Amazon, famous for their beautiful baskets and weaving. Both men and women weave, and young men are expected to weave and create their own distinctive patterns. The geometric diamond and meander pattern covering the entire interior surface of this tray is not merely decorative. The designs reflect sacred and natural symbols from both the inner and outer worlds of the Ye'kuana people, inspired by their myths and cosmology. Every geometric element carries meaning rooted in centuries of Amazonian cultural tradition.

The materials are sustainably harvested natural plant fibers including guasdua bamboo and mamure vine, naturally dyed to achieve the two-tone warm tan and deep brown geometric pattern visible throughout. The weave density and precision of this example is exceptional. The interlocking diamond and meander motifs are executed with remarkable consistency across the entire surface, a testament to the skill of the maker.

At 15.5 inches in diameter this is a substantial and commanding piece, large enough to make a genuine statement displayed on a wall, a dining table, a console or a coffee table. Ye'kuana baskets of this quality are collected by ethnographic art specialists, interior designers and folk art collectors worldwide and are increasingly difficult to source outside of Venezuela.
A piece of living cultural heritage with genuine soul and story. See less