Cocobolo Carved Bird Head
Handcrafted in Panama
A simple and graceful small bird head carving. The carving shows decorated nostrils and softly curved eyes.
Cocobolo is a dense rosewood, prized for its weight and beautiful lines. It is one of the main creative endeavors of many Wounaan men, who carve various animals first with a hatchet, and add finishes by hand sanding and applying a gloss to the completed piece. Each creation is unique, hand made by a single artisan, and may have markings on the outside of the piece as evidence of a handmade piece of art.
Carving is the main source of income for many of these artists, and in many cases skill and technique have been passed down through generations. Nothing is wasted, as even the wood shavings are used by weavers to color their palm material into a very deep brown and almost black color.
3" L x 2" W x 3" H by a Wounaan carver.
Hand-carved from dense, richly grained cocobolo rosewood, these animal sculptures are a signature art form of Wounaan men in eastern Panama. Each piece begins with rough shaping by hatchet, then refined through hours of hand-sanding and polishing to bring out the natural beauty of the wood. The final form—whether jaguar, toucan, or turtle—is shaped entirely by one artisan, making every carving one of a kind.
Carving is both tradition and livelihood. Skills are passed down through families, and nothing is wasted: even the shavings are repurposed to dye basket fibers a deep brown or near black. These carvings reflect a balance of form and material—an art rooted in the forest, shaped by memory, and meant to be held.
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.
Hand carved in panama by
Wounaan Cocobolo Carvers
No. of ArtisansOver a dozen carvers |
OriginDarien Province, Panama |
Fairly Made. Community Driven.
Each carving is purchased directly from the artist at fair prices that support families, preserve tradition, and sustain local economies.
