HAÏ The Scarlet Messenger
A UNIQUE PIECE MADE BY INDIGENOUS TRIBES IN THE HEART OF THE JUNGLE.
Grand in both scale and presence, this parrot mask celebrates the vitality of the tropical rainforest.
Its spectacular silhouette, crowned by an imposing scarlet ruff, evokes the exuberant energy of the canopy and the brilliance of the birds that inhabit it.
The contrast between its vivid red tones, the graphic lines of the head, and the refined beak reveals the remarkable virtuosity of Icinia, an Emberá artisan whose creative universe is deeply inspired by birds.
Her distinctive style is instantly recognizable: exceptionally fine embroidery that transforms frayed palm fibers into a composition of extraordinary richness.
In the Emberá shamanic tradition, birds are messengers between the earthly world and the realm of spirits.
They symbolize elevation, freedom, and the connection to invisible forces. This mask is a powerful interpretation of that belief, combining brilliance, mystery, and spirituality.
Since 2012, Corinne Bally has been creating these exceptional works in close collaboration with Emberá artisans in the heart of the Darién rainforest.
Each mask is born from a relationship of trust, where the skill, personality, and inspiration of each artisan give life to a truly unique work of art.
A magnificent creation in which technical mastery meets the expressive power of nature.
- Each artisan receives directly and immediately remuneration for her work, at a fair price.
- The masks all receive a phytosanitary treatment to eliminate all insect larvae.
- The dyes used are always natural and made from plants.
Extraordinary as works of art and decoration, these masks come from the Shamanic beliefs and rituals of the Central American Indians from the Wounaans and Emberas tribes.
The Indians divide the world in two, a visible world and a parallel world which is invisible.
These invisible spirits “haï“ are found in nature, in animals or in plants. “ The great superiority of this parallel world, this universe of shadows, is that they can see man while man cannot see them “ wrote Jean-Marie Le Clézio.
Through the Shamans, they come into contact with the “ haï“ spirits of Nature.
The mask or “ nemboro “ allows the Shaman, during the ritual, to take on the appearance of a spirit from the invisible world and enter into communication with this world.
After use, the mask which has “danced“ will be destroyed because it remains “charged“ and only the Shaman is allowed to touch it. And so there are no previous examples of these masks in existence.
Our masks are traditionally made for rituals.
They are made from palm leaves harvested from the forest, from a variety of palm called the Chunga. The softer parts are removed first. They are dried, bleached and wound into skeins.
The dried palm leaves are then dyed with natural dyes made from fruit pulp, wood chips, seeds, leaves or roots. They may need to be dipped several times in the dye.
After this long preparatory work, each craftswoman begins her fabulous creative work, which, alongside her great artistic sense, also requires the deep, incomparable know-how held only by the women of these tribes.
Never get wet, do not expose to rain.
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