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ART, CULTURE AND GAMES   
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ART, CULTURE AND GAMES
::01


B
akairi art expresses in all artifacts themes that refer to the spirit world, above all in the plaits, the fans for turning over beiju, the zoomorphic stools, through the paintings done with jenipapo[blue-black dye], urucum [red vegetal dye] and tabatinga, a kind of white clay. In so doing, they spiritualize material things and materialize spiritual things.

It is worth highlighting here the masks, above all of the ritual called Iakuigâde, which are of two types: (1) Kwamby, oval-shaped, which are the leaders and shamans and (2) Iakuigâde, rectangular and carved in wood, representing tutelary spirits of the aquatic world. Elaborate male and female body paintings – in the style of the upper Xingu – done with jenipapo, urucum, tabatinga and vegetal resins are associated with the rituals.

In terms of material culture, also noteworthy are the hammocks, made from cotton and buriti fibre, woven on vertical looms.

As far as games, soccer stands out, with internal and interethnic tournaments.


01
:: Female body painting
drawing: Semimo
Edir Pina de Barros
Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso
edirpina@zaz.com.br
june 1999
 
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