Indigenous woods of the carving zoomorphic art in the southern Brazilian Atlantic forest

Abstract

Trees constitute an inseparable part of artistic expression in many human cultures. The zoomorphic woodcarving art of the Guarani Mbya Indigenous People—an ethnic group that once densely occupied much of South America—embodies the synergy between bioeconomy, technology, art, and ancestral knowledge of trees and their woods. It reflects the millennial sociocultural relationship between humans, their territory, and sustainable management practices aimed at preserving both ancestral culture and biodiversity. This editorial highlights the connection between wood properties and Indigenous carving art within the context of the Atlantic Forest in southern Brazil, aiming to demonstrate ancestral knowledge of the forest and its species.

Full Article

Indigenous Woods of the Carving Zoomorphic Art in the Southern Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Francys Alves Paulino  ,^a,* and João Carlos Ferreira de Melo Júnior  ,^b

Trees constitute an inseparable part of artistic expression in many human cultures. The zoomorphic woodcarving art of the Guarani Mbya Indigenous People—an ethnic group that once densely occupied much of South America—embodies the synergy between bioeconomy, technology, art, and ancestral knowledge of trees and their woods. It reflects the millennial sociocultural relationship between humans, their territory, and sustainable management practices aimed at preserving both ancestral culture and biodiversity. This editorial highlights the connection between wood properties and Indigenous carving art within the context of the Atlantic Forest in southern Brazil, aiming to demonstrate ancestral knowledge of the forest and its species.

DOI: 10.15376/biores.21.1.1-4

Keywords: Wood heritage; Historical anatomy; Indigenous carving art; Rain Forest

Contact information: a: Post Graduate Program in Cultural Heritage and Society, University of the Region of Joinville (Univille), Rua Paulo Malschitzki, 10 – Zona Industrial Norte, Joinville, SC 89219-501, Brazil; b: Post Graduate Program in Health and Environmental, and Cultural Heritage and Society, University of the Region of Joinville (Univille), Joinville, SC, Brazil; *Corresponding author: paulinofrancys@gmail.com

Indigenous cultures maintain a historical and social relationship of interdependence with forest territories. Millennia-old ancestral knowledge, in synergy with the sustainable management of biodiversity, is transmitted orally from generation to generation through cultural manifestations such as narratives, rituals, agriculture, fishing, hunting, dance, music, games, and handicrafts (Cunha et al. 2022; Paulino et al. 2025).
Brazil is home to approximately 305 indigenous peoples who coexist with forests, among whom the Guarani people stand out for their woodcarving art. They are ancient inhabitants of the tropical forest territory (Yvyrupá), which, before European colonization, encompassed present-day Brazil, Suriname, Paraguay, Uruguay, the Guianas, and Argentina (Sackser et al. 2025).

The Guarani mobilize cognitive, symbolic, and technological knowledge of biodiversity in the creation of their art, which expresses their way of being (Reko) and their cultural identity. Their artistic practice engages multiple dimensions of art: (i) enjoyment and expression, through sensitivity, perception, and aesthetic appreciation; (ii) reflection and critique, by situating their people’s sociocultural history within the world; and (iii) creativity, originality, and technical skill (Santos and Mendes 2025). The entire know-how process of craftsmanship is the responsibility of the indigenous artisan and involves symbolic and spiritual mechanisms. First, the artisan seeks protection from God (Nhanderu) so that the process may occur safely—from the collection of the wood in the forest to its cutting, carving, and pyrography. Upon entering the forest, the artisan selects the tree, fells it, and cuts it into pieces, allowing it to dry for three days. Using a cutting instrument, he carves the wood and lets it dry for an additional six days. The sculpture is then finished by refining the characteristic details of the represented animal and adding ornamental elements through pyrography (Mirim 2025).

The know-how of this carved art activates multiple intelligences of the artisan, including: (i) logical-mathematical, in planning and executing the manufacturing process; (ii) linguistic, in listening, learning, and sharing knowledge; (iii) spatial, in recognizing the surrounding geographic environment; (iv) bodily-kinesthetic, in perceiving and representing the movement and features of the depicted animals; and (v) naturalistic, in understanding nature and its biodiversity (Souza and Sitko 2022). The zoomorphic sculptural art thus reflects a plurality of knowledge systems emerging from the human relationship with territory and biodiversity, generating a synergistic integration of science, technology, art, and ancestral wisdom. Wood, as the most utilized forest resource across human cultures, constitutes the primary raw material for this Indigenous craftsmanship.

Indigenous Wood and the Art of Zoomorphic Carving

The Guarani ancestral knowledge of sustainable management of natural resources enables the use of a diverse range of species in their zoomorphic woodcarving art. The indigenous woods used in these carvings are derived from native trees of the Atlantic Forest, found within indigenous life territories (Table 1). The Guarani culturally refer to this artistic expression as “bichinhos” (“little animals”) and represent native fauna that inhabit or once inhabited the forest (Fig. 1).

Tree species such as Alchornea triplinervia (Euphorbiaceae, tapiá), Cordia sellowiana (Boraginaceae, juretê), Jacaranda puberula (Bignoniaceae, caroba), Schefflera morototoni (Araliaceae, pau-mandioca), Simarouba versicolor (Simarou-baceae, caixeta), Trema micranta (Cannabaceae, grandiúva), and Zanthoxylum rhoifolium (Rutaceae, mamica-de-porca) are commonly used by indigenous artisans in their craftsmanship. These species display physical and sensorial properties that indicate an empirical selection of woods with good workability, dimensional stability, and visual qualities suited to artistic expression (Table 1).

In general, these are low-density woods (0.31–0.50 g/cm³), which confer lightness and ease of carving. They predominantly exhibit light coloration, ranging from white to yellowish and tan hues, with absent to moderate luster, which facilitates the final decoration of the artifact through the use of fire. The texture varies from fine to medium, and the grain is straight, allowing for clean cuts and precise manual control during carving. Most of these woods are soft to cut or require a sharp knife for manual carving.

Table 1. Indigenous Wood Used in Carving Zoomorphic Art by Guarani Mbya People in Southern Brazil

Fig. 1. Indigenous craving zoomorphic art of the Guarani Mbya people in southern Brazil. Legend: A – owl (coruja). B – fish (peixe). C – macaw (arara). D – toucan (tucano). E – raccoon (guaxinim). F – monkey (macaco). G – turtle (tartaruga). H – hawk (gavião). I – owl (coruja). J – armadillo (tatu). K – owl (coruja). L – anteater (tamanduá). M – snake (cobra). N – owl (coruja). O – jaguar (onça).

Conclusion

The Indigenous woodcarving art of the Guarani Mbya people demonstrates a profound understanding of the technological properties of trees within the context of the Atlantic Forest. The selected woods exhibit characteristics that are well-suited to the practice of manual carving. The technique employed by master artisans integrates symbolic, spiritual, and bioeconomic values, allowing them to express their millennia-old culture while simultaneously contributing to forest conservation—thus giving tangible meaning to the interdependence between society and nature.

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful for the support of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPQ 308777/2025-5), Research Support Fund of Univille (FAP 1282), and Santa Catarina State Research and Innovation Support Foundation (FAPESC 2023TR000901). To AI ChatGPT for translating the original content into Portuguese and to Grammarly for spelling and grammar review of the translated text into English.

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