Kaxinawá Artifacts

Kaxinawá Cooking Items

The online exhibit includes additional Kaxinawa cooking items not displayed in the physical museum. Learn about each item by scrolling through the gallery and interact with a 3D model of the small container below.

This ladle has a narrow handle, with a side base. It is smooth, flat, and has markings on both sides of the base. Used for stirring corn soup or lifting manioc out of a bowl. Made by men and used by women.

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Kaxinawá Personal Care

This "head-thing", a wooden comb, is adorned with woven cotton bindings (colors include: pink, black, and white) with a wide piece of wood across the middle. The short handle consists of three sticks woven together. It is specifically intended for women's grooming purposes.

A comb consisting of smooth, rounded, and sharply pointed wooden teeth woven together with pink, black, and white string. Women typically use this type of item as a comb. It is adorned with red and gray macaw feathers.

A comb consisting of smooth, thin, and rounded wooden teeth woven together with pink, black, and white string. Pitch is used to bind the teeth together.

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Kaxinawá Tobacco

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The mortar is a hallowed out palm nut with a balsa wood stopper. It contains powdered tobacco. The pestle is a slender, palm bark rod with a rounded tip.

This snuff pipe is made out of carved bird bone with beeswax at the fork.

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Kaxinawá Weapons

A rectangular palm bark war club with triangular indention at bottom and areas of pink, black, and white (with design) string decoration along the long, carved top part of the handle. These decorations continue along the rest of the handle.

Notes on accession card:
"Type used for warfare or clubbing wild pigs."

A large cotton fishnet consisting of a large wooden circle attached to heavy pink, white, and blue string woven wide then into a tapering bag and decorated with pink, blue, orange, and black dyes.

A wooden machete adorned with a stained black and brownish design, with a razor grass-decorated handle, and feathers. The blade is straight edged and has a slanted tip.

Notes on accession card:
"Use: In initiation rites for ceremonial clearing of the field

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The online exhibit includes additional Kaxinawa weapons not displayed in the physical museum. Learn about each item by scrolling through the gallery.

Kaxinawá Adornments

The online exhibit includes additional Kaxinawa adornment items not displayed in the physical museum. Learn about each item by scrolling through the gallery and interact with a 3D model of the gourd mask below.

A headdress consisting of blue and red macaw feathers and yellow oriole feathers. Headdress has a wooden circle with woven black, white, and pink string.

A headdress consisting of a circle of snakeskin decorated with blue, yellow, red, brown, and white feathers. Around the bottom of this snakeskin band is a cotton thread with small monkey teeth and eight hanging objects attached. These hanging objects consist of arrow cane adorned with toucan and macaw feathers and job's tears (Coix lacryma jobi).

Notes on accession card:
"Killing a snake is a ritual only undergone as a desperation measure after a poor hunting season.

A face mask made of an orange gourd consisting of appliqued beeswax pitch features, faded red and black stained designs, two rows of armadillo scales representing teeth, two yellow feathers in the nose, two holes for eyes and one mouth hole. The nose is above the eyes, with eyebrows made of pitch on either side of the nose. Bits of human hair have been stuck to the lips. This is a male mask.

Note on accession card:
"strange composition, nose above eyes"

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Kaxinawá Toys

A small egg-shaped spinning top consisting of a hollow brown gourd and a small handle affixed with beeswax.

This male doll is wooden, small, and has carved out wooden eyes and genitalia. It has a design except for the top and bottom.

most traditional style with genitalia
made by a man for his granddaughter

A wooden stool with a stained design, intended as a toy for a child.

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The online exhibit includes additional Kaxinawa toys not displayed in the physical museum. Learn about each item by scrolling through the gallery and interact with a 3D model of the stool and wooden doll below.

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Kaxinawá Artifacts

Kaxinawá Cooking Items

Wide mouth Jar

Ladle

Small Container

Kaxinawá Personal Care

Comb

comb with macaw feathers

Comb

Kaxinawá Tobacco

mortar

pipe

Kaxinawá Weapons

Club

Fishnet

Wood Machete

Kaxinawá Adornments

Headdress

snake skin headdress

gourd mask

Kaxinawá Toys

Whistle (Atsu)

Wooden doll (male)

Toy Stool (Kenan)