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Mystique of
Ancient Traditions
by Chitra Gunderson
As a textile
artist, my attraction to fabric is a
fascination bordering on obsession. Every
time I see a beautiful fabric, I have to
touch it and feel it. For me it’s an
emotional ‘fabric experience’ that is very
important in choosing the perfect piece to
work with.
Then, one day
almost four years ago was the first time saw
the hand-painted fabric of the Shipibo
peoples of Peru, and my ‘fabric experience’
immediately evolved to a new level. Let me
explain…
Laying my hands
on the fabric, feeling the inherent energy,
I sensed the designs represented much more
than a piece of art – the intricacy of the
patterns seemed to hold an earth connection,
containing an ancient wisdom, and spiritual
energy that brings healing and blessings to
the bearer.
I had to dig
deeper to discover the true meaning behind
these geometric designs that adorns Shipibo
faces and covers their textiles and pottery.
What I uncovered was the beauty and mystique
of ancient Shipibo traditions, beyond
anything imaginable in my mind.
The Shipibo
tradition follows that early in Shipibo
girls’ lives they are initiated by their
mothers and grandmothers into the practice
of textile design and pottery craft. A
Shipibo woman explained, “When I was a young
girl, my mother squeezed drops of the
piripiri berries (a species of Cyprus) into
my eyes so that I would have the vision for
the designs.”
It is like a
rite of passage for a young woman to be
given the power by her elders to execute the
very important responsibility of creating
designs for the village. How honored and
empowered the women must feel!
The designs
begin when the muraya (Shaman) uses wild
plants and meditative trance to receive
spiritual design messages from the spirit
world in the form of geometric patterns of
energy. The patterns emerge through his
mouth into a song or chant (icaro). He then
conveys the designs to the women artists in
the form of sound vibration.
Amazingly the
Shipibo artist is able to listen to an icaro
by looking at the designs, and paint a
pattern by listening to a song or music. “I
witnessed two Shipiba (Shipibo women) paint
a large ceremonial ceramic pot (mahueta),
five feet high and three feet in diameter.
Neither woman could see what the other was
painting, both were singing the same icaro,
and when they finished both sides of the
geometric patterns appeared identical and
matched each side perfectly,” explains
Howard G. Charing, organizer of Plant Spirit
Medicine journeys to the Amazon Rainforest
and free-lance writer of Amazonian plant
medicines.
Then, retreating
from the hustle of the village to her
secluded forest hut, the woman takes refuge,
and drawing on her shina (intuition and
creativity), elaborates the design visions
given to her by the muraya into an intricate
intertwining of geometric shapes using
simple basic colors, accented with splashes
of red, yellow, and green, thus creating her
individual expression of the icaros.
No two designs
are the same - all have the unique touch of
the individual artist, personalized by her
creativity and ability to see the designs,
yet holding the spiritual power that
connects Shipibo village life with the
ancient spirit world and the power of the
rainforest.
The actual
artistic process uses hand-woven cotton,
either natural un-dyed or dyed in mahogany
bark to bring a rich brown color. The artist
paints the fabrics with a pointed piece of
bamboo using the juice of the crushed Huito
Berry fruits, which turn into a black-brown
dye when exposed to the air.
The painting or embroidery of the patterns
begin in the center of the fabric with a
cross design (representing the physical
world) and intertwine bringing together the
inner and outer worlds as a ‘map of the
Cosmos.’ This Cosmic Cross represents the
eternal spirit of a person, the union of the
masculine and feminine principles or
procreation, and the cycle of life and
death.
Smaller patterns
flowing within the geometric forms represent
the Cosmic Serpent, radiating power as it
moves throughout the universe. Within the
circular forms is the center of creation
surrounded by the circle itself, the Cosmic
Anaconda, known as the great Mother Creator
of the universe by the Shipibo.
Believing that
our physical and emotional health are
dependent on balance between the mind,
spirit and body, the shaman uses the design
messages to heal patients by chanting the
icaros, and infusing them into the body of
the patient to bring harmony, re-balance and
protect the persons spirit.
Visual
communication with the spirit world lives-on
in present day Shipibo life. Shipibo women
masterfully transform ancient design
messages into symbols that act as channels
connecting ancient culture with the spirit
world. Simple yet intricate geometric
designs covering the textiles, pottery, and
decorated faces mix form, light and sound
that extend far beyond the borders of the
fabric or clay to reach all beings, bringing
them into harmony with each other, and the
universe.
Understanding
the depth and meaning behind the Shipibo
designs has given me a connection to ancient
spirituality. The meditative communion I
have experienced with the Shipibo fabrics
evolved into visions of clothing designs for
practical use in our western world.
Producing samples of a beginning clothing
line has been my pet project to help support
indigenous women’s art.
Manos de la
Tierra (Hands of the Earth), a non-profit
organization of the Amazon Herb Company,
participates with eight different
community’s from the Shipibo, Matses, Jivaro
and Ashanika tribes to bring the Amazonian
women’s artwork and handicrafts to the rest
of the world - enriching our lives with the
cultural diversity and spiritual tradition
of ancient tribal history and adding
financial support to the village women and
their communities.
For more
information about how you can take part in
supporting indigenous women artists and
their communities contact
us. |
