Ethnic Wall Mask | Pataxó

The Pataxó indigenous group represents the resilience of ancestral culture. Residing in different villages in southern Bahia, with Barra Velha being the oldest – existing for over two and a half centuries – these Patxohã-speaking Indians and their varied body paintings are the inspiration for this decorative mask carved from natural wood. Marked by the use of yellow, red, and black, traditional colors of the culture obtained from natural sources such as clay, annatto, and genipap, the artistic paintings of Curral da Cor highlight the symbolism that unites each graphic detail to feeling, social condition, or ritual.

The Awê or Toré ritual is one of the oldest cultural manifestations of the Pataxó people. This sacred ritual combines food preparation, facial and body painting, singing, and dancing in the search for positive energies from nature, as well as the unity of the people and connection with ancestral spirituality. Painting, being an element of extreme importance in Pataxó cultural practice, connects with the core elements and patterns of this artwork, transferring the indigenous tribe's desire for positivity to the surrounding environment.

Mask dimensions: Height 22cm x Width 15cm