Wounaan Basketry

Wounaan baskets are highly regarded works of art, with some collectors identifying them as the finest contemporary baskets in the World, according to the Bowers Museum. Wounaan Artisans began producing their highly detailed, coiled and pictorial baskets for sale as"tourist art” starting around the mid 1980’s, often attributed to the influence of outside scholars and developers. While weaving is a traditional skill, the shift to fine, marketable Hosig Di (palm fiber) baskets provided a crucial source of cash income in the Darien region of Panama during that period. While traditional, utilitarian baskets were made for centuries; the refined coiling technique using chunga palm fiber gained traction for commercial sales in the 1970’s and 1980’s.