Soila
Soila is an exceptional artisan whose work is refined and delicate. Such craftsmanship requires several months of patient work.
One does not count time when creating a mask; one gives oneself entirely to the art.
Having collaborated with these tribes for many years, Corinne Bally designs these incredible works of art. She works personally with each artisan and adapts her requests to each one’s unique style.
Halfway between ritual object and modern art piece, these masks are truly one of a kind in the world.
- 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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