Wounaan Rainforest Baskets from Panama

Wounaan Rainforest Baskets are deeply rooted in the land they come from. Woven by Indigenous Wounaan women in the Darién rainforest of Panama, each piece draws inspiration from the surrounding plant and animal life, as well as the geometric forms of ancestral body painting and ancient pottery.

These finely coiled baskets are made by hand using split fibers from the native Werregue (Chunga) and Naguala palms. The process is slow and precise—artists use a simple needle to stitch coil by coil, often working for months or even years on a single piece.

Color is drawn entirely from nature: seeds, roots, berries, bark, and leaves provide a palette that ranges from subtle earth tones to vibrant reds, greens, and black. The result is a woven form of storytelling—art that carries cultural knowledge, natural beauty, and generations of technique.