This collection of 500 pieces of Canelos Quichua pottery, bead, feather, and wood artifacts was acquired by Norman E. and Dorothea S. Whitten during their studies of Canelos Quichua people and culture from 1968 into the present. Strong visionary women ceramists and knowledgable visionary male shamans complement each other in portraying and interpreting five basic images used in pottery motifs. These images represent the anaconda, the water turtle, the land tortoise, the iguanid and the powers of mountains and rivers. To canelos Quichua people of Pastaza Province, Amazonian Ecuador, these symbols, indivually and in various combinations, represent spirit masters of the domains of the water world, the forest and garden soil and pottery clay.
Drinking Bowl From the Curaray River region.
Artist unknown (1980-81)
1997.15.0026
Festival drinking vessel in the form of the Chapel at Curaray.
Inez Padilla, Quilla Allpa, upriver from Curaray (1990).
1997.15.0057
Festival drinking vessel in the form of an Oil boss.
Alegria Canelos, formerly of Curaray (1985).
Imagery of a North American oil boss riding in a canoe painted with symbols of the dangerous anaconda emerging from the water to crush and devour people.
1997.15.0063
Drinking bowl with symmetrical design.
Eva Canelos, Canelos (1993).
1997.15.0239
Drinking bowl with asymmetrical design.
Eva Canelos, Canelos (1993).
1997.15.0240
Festival drinking vessel in the form of a spirit bird.
Artist unknown, Pacayacu (1973).
1997.15.0270
Drinking bowl Eularia Vargas, Rosario Yacu,
Comuna San Jacinto del Pindo (1973).
Very large drinking bowl for host's use during festival. Spanish letters and symbols of datura symbolize a juxtaposition of western and indigenous powers.
1997.15.0267
Festival drinking vessel in form of a catfish. Coated with latex instead of tree resin.
Artist Unknown, Mantalvo (1972).
1997.15.0382
Festival drinking vessel in form of a cornet painted with the face of Amasanga, master spirit of the rain forest. The late Pastora Guatatuca. Union base, Comuna San Jacinto del Pindo (1973).
1997.15.0307
Festival drinking vessel in the form of water spirit woman.
Estela Dagua, Puyo (1990).
1997.15.0511
Small-scale storage jar to ferment and store manioc pulp.
The late Pastora Guatatuca. Union Base, Comuna San Jacinto del pindo very strong anaconda symbolism (circa 1978).
1997.15.0515