Guacamayo – Yawanawa Amazonian Beaded Spiritual Jewelry

Mood: Free, Bold, Joyful
Best For: Festivals, ceremony, a striking gift

Type: Large necklace
Colors: Multicolor
Motif: Macaws
Tribe: Yawanawa
Origin: Acre, Brazilian Amazon
Made: By hand, bead by bead

The macaw, guacamayo in Spanish, is the loudest and most colorful bird of the Amazon. Here it is woven in beads.

Large Guacamayo Necklace with Macaws

A large, multicolor Yawanawa necklace with macaw figures woven into the pattern. It is one of the most striking pieces in our collection, and it is easy to see why the tribe chose this bird.

The Macaw in Amazonian Tradition

Macaws fly over the canopy in pairs, and they stay with one partner for life. Their red, blue and yellow feathers are among the most precious materials in the forest: tribes use them in the headdresses of leaders and in ceremonial objects. For many Amazon peoples the macaw is a messenger between the earth and the sky, a symbol of freedom, of speech and of loyalty.

The Yawanawa weave the birds and the forest around them bead by bead, by hand, in their village in Acre. Read the full story of Yawanawa beadwork.

Every piece is made by hand, so no two are exactly the same. The one you receive is the one in the photos.

What Yawanawa Jewelry Carries

For the Yawanawa, a piece of jewelry is never just decoration.

• The spirit of the materials – seeds, feathers and beads are believed to carry the spirit of the forest, and whoever wears them carries it too.
• A language of patterns – every pattern tells a story, a myth or a teaching, and keeps the memory of the people alive from one generation to the next.
• Taken with respect – materials are gathered without harming the forest, as a way of giving thanks for what it gives.
• Born in vision – many patterns and colors come from visions seen in ceremony with ayahuasca.
• A talisman – worn for protection, strength and harmony, and to stay connected with yourself and with nature.