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Soul Boat, 20th Century
Kuna people; Panama
Balsa wood, paint and nails;  26 1/2 x 12 x 31 1/…
Soul Boat
Soul Boat, 20th Century
Kuna people; Panama
Balsa wood, paint and nails;  26 1/2 x 12 x 31 1/…
Soul Boat, 20th Century Kuna people; Panama Balsa wood, paint and nails; 26 1/2 x 12 x 31 1/2 in. 96.5.2 Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest and Auguste Roschen

Soul Boat

ClassificationsSculpture
Date20th Century
Made AtPanama, Central America, North America
MediumBalsa wood, paint and nails
Dimensions26 × 12 × 31 1/2 in. (66 × 30.5 × 80 cm)
Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest and Auguste Roschen
Object number96.5.2
DescriptionCarved wooden boat with figures from the Kuna (Guna) people of Panama. Twenty-nine human figures and one alligator are depicted. The boat is painted red and blue. One large figure on a pole is holding a drum and there is one large figure on the back. Both sides are painted with geometric designs.

Called a soul boat, this sculpture would have been placed in the tomb of a deceased Kuna person along with other goods that would assist in the transition to the afterlife. Collected by donor in 1923.
On View
On view
Soul Boat, 20th Century
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Balsa wood, paint and nails;  26 1/2 x 12 x 31 1/…
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