Maluwana

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A maluwana

A maluwana or maluana is a decorated wooden disc that forms the centre point of a tukusipan, a traditional community house[1][2] of the Wayana and Aparai native American peoples, who can be found in Guyana, Suriname and Brazil.

Maluwanas are made from the wood of the Ceiba tree C. pentandra, also known as the silk-cotton tree.[2][3][4] The name means "house sky" in the Wayana language.[5]

The motifs of the maluwana are traditional, and represent evil animal spirits enclosed by a liminal border.[2] They were traditionally painted using colored clay, but are now painted using acrylic paints or an admixture of colored clay and superglue.[2][4]

The appropriation of maluwana imagery for commercial purposes is controversial.[6]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Ciel de case:Mythes et Art autour du maluwana". Boukan & Une Saison en Guyane (in French). Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  2. ^ a b c d Duin, Renzo S. (2006). "Maluwana, Pinnacle of Wayana Art in the Guyanas" (PDF). Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  3. ^ Tareau, M.-A.; Greene, A.; Odonne, Guillaume; Davy, D. (2021-07-04). "Ceiba pentandra L. Gaertn. (Malvaceae) and associated species: Spiritual Keystone Species of the Neotropics". Botany. doi:10.1139/cjb-2021-0099. hdl:1807/109440. ISSN 1916-2790.
  4. ^ a b Brightman, Marc. "Painted Cosmos: the Wayana maluwana and embodiment of collectivity". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. ^ "Wayana, la symbolique du ciel de case". revue-ultreia.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  6. ^ "Affaire Maluwana : Y a-t'il mépris des coutumes traditionnelles amérindiennes ?". Guyane la 1ère (in French). 2018-08-02. Retrieved 2024-03-02.