TOUCAN PAINTINGS

Barkcloth, made from the bark of a fig tree (Ficus yoponensis) is often used for painting. (See bark paintings.) Paints are mostly from natural dyes obtained from various plants. Toucans are a popular subject, being colorful and recognised by tourists who buy most of the paintings. These paintings come from the Bora Indians near Pevas in Peru, about 100 miles east of Iquitos.

The plumage in this painting depicts what appears to be a White-throated Toucan (see photo), but the bill as painted is quite different from this species and does not match any of the toucans that occur in the Peruvian Amazon. Perhaps this is artistic license. The rendition is fairly sophisticated compared to the one below.

This is painting is by a "naive" artist (i.e., someone with no artistic training). The species is uncertain. The plumage suggests an araçari (a small toucan), but the bill does not match candidate species.