Wounaan Indian Anteater Tagua Nut Carving-Panama 20120422L

This is an old, old carving that has been in my inventory for some time. There are several features that make this carving interesting. First, it is was carved from a large nut. The nut was old because it had a number of large inclusions which give the piece the nice coloring. Secondly, the snout is resting right by the hole that all tagua nuts have. Usually the artists carve the hole out or hide it on the bottom. Here the artist made it look like the anteater is waiting for termites or ants to emerge. Sadly, I failed to get this in the photos, but trust me, it’s cool.

The piece is not signed but I believe it was done by Geronino Negria.

Click above for the larger images.

Each tagua carving is a one-of-a-kind treasure.