Description
This fantastic pectoral is called Eà Dè, which translates to The Path Home, a representation of the tribe’s ancestral dwelling. The Emberā-Chamí are a very spiritual people, they believe that everything and everyone has a soul, as a result their pieces are highly symbolical.
The patterns always carry a specific meaning, they are an open window into the Emberā-Chamí, history, culture and traditions. The small triangles on the necklace’s first row represent “eà”, the ancestral huts. The bigger triangles represent the Colombian Andes. “Dé”, the path, is represented by the fringes in the middle, thereby joining the two sections of the necklace. Like an open book, this spectacular work of art tells us that its makers once lived in the Colombian high mountains, a place that they miss and where they long to return one day.
Colors have specific meanings in Emberā-Chamí culture. Red, chipür, represents bloodlines. Black, chipär, represents feminine wisdom and spiritual protection. Gold, chikuārā, represents light, happiness and abundance.