Abel Cárcamo Metawe vase-sculpture

Description

In polished bronze
Limited edition 1/8
France 2023
height: 38 cm  width: 40 cm

Description of this piece by the artist: 'This is my homage to the women of the Mapuche culture in Chile, a symbol and icon of their continuous struggle to keep their families, culture and roots alive. The ketru metawe is a ceremonial vessel or vase handmade by Mapuche women, and it plays a fundamental role in representing the whole family. Each piece is unique and during the konchotun, the most important traditional ceremony, it is used to strengthen friendship in a reciprocal way between two families or individuals. In order to establish friendship in perpetuity, the families exchange clothes and jewelry as offerings, and share water and food using a ketru metawe. These vessels are used at the most important moments of a woman's life: they are used to hold the sacred water used to wash a baby for the first time, and to hold the mudai, the corn chicha which is served in festive rituals. This piece is not a simple object but a symbol of my culture, roots and family.'

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