The emblematic mola
This is perhaps the country's most prized piece of fabric, and one you won't want to miss... Worn by Guna women, the mola forms the front and back of their blouses, and in the field of handicraft production, the mola of the San Blas Indians is for many the benchmark. Using a technique known as appliqué-inversé, several layers of textile are superimposed, with cut-outs made on the fabric above revealing the color of the fabric below, and so on. The end result is a real painting, with the depth of the materials contributing to the relief. While the motifs depicted once originated in the imagination or socio-cultural rites of the Guna, today they incorporate many elements of Western culture. Some molas depict Santa Claus, Noah's Ark, bells, boxing gloves and more. And demand for this flagship product continues to grow, prompting the Guna to organize themselves into cooperatives. The arrival of tourists has encouraged the development of Internet sites dedicated to online sales, and many foreigners place large orders directly with Guna families, then resell the goods in their own countries. It's not necessarily a "fair" process, but it's hard to resist these magnificent works of art, with their finesse and seductive colors!
And if you're in the mood for something small, wini- strings of brightly-colored pearls - will adorn your forearms and calves.
A flamboyant paruma
Just like the guna women, the elegance of the emberá and wounaan women will charm you, and you may even be tempted to buy a paruma, the fabric tied around their waists like a skirt. Like wax fabric on the African continent, a new design comes out every month, and the most coquettish women flock to the boutiques to buy it. The rarer the pattern, the more valuable the paruma in their eyes. What's even more astonishing is that these fabrics are actually made in Asia especially for Panamanian Indians. They are distributed by wholesalers on Avenida Central in Panama City, who sell them as far afield as Darién.
A traditional basketry
The palette is breathtaking, and takes many forms: baskets, plates, masks... Totally handcrafted and woven from plant fibers, some baskets take several months to make. The leaves of the chunga and nawala palms are first gathered, then transformed into fibers after a long process. Depending on the shade required, the Indians prepare a natural dye based on roucou (for red), jagua (for black), a variety of yucca (for yellow) or coconut husks (for brown). The resulting colors are then used to dye the fibers, which are expertly woven to produce patterns that blend with the chunga's natural hue. The geometric patterns, imagined by the artist, echo the body paints still worn today. To find a quality item, we recommend visiting the indigenous communities themselves, which will also give you the opportunity to learn more about their culture and manufacturing process. The Panamanian State, in a law passed on June 26, 2000, instituted a special regime for "intellectual property on the collective rights of indigenous people, for the protection and defense of their cultural identity and traditional knowledge". The aim is to preserve the artistic and cultural wealth of the country's various Amerindian communities.
A chácara... very useful
And don't miss the Ngäbe Buglé chácaras. These stretchy natural-fiber bags are commonly used to carry goods. Made from a variety of fibers derived from the pita palm, they are also colored with dyes derived from roots and vines. A fashionable accessory that will replace your 50-centime plastic shopping bags...
A unique piece in tagua
On the stalls, a multitude of small animals (toucans, sloths, hummingbirds...) will catch your eye... but what's behind these decorative miniatures that are so tempting to bring back in your suitcase? A nut, the tagua, also known as vegetable ivory! Originating from a palm tree growing in the tropical rainforests of South America and Panama, the fruit of this palm tree was originally prized by the Indians for its sweet milk, which hardens to form tagua. The nut enjoyed great popularity until the 1930s, when it was discovered by Europeans in the 19thcentury and exploited for its close resemblance to animal ivory. In particular, it was used to make buttons and ornamental objects. The American army even used it for its soldiers' uniforms. But the advent of plastic signaled its demise. Once forgotten, tagua is now being revived thanks to the talent of the Emberá and Wounaan people who work and excel in this art. More and more of them are carving these white nuts with their brown shells, which they sometimes paint in bright colors.
A cocobolo sculpture
In Panamá, nature's bounty is a source of inspiration for artisans. Such is the case of the cocobolo, a medium-sized tree that grows in Central America and whose particularly robust wood is used to make extremely fine sculptures. Its beautiful colors range from bright red to dark brown. Its fine texture naturally releases an oil that gives it a glossy, lustrous appearance. Originally used to make ceremonial sticks, cocobolo, considered a precious wood, is highly prized, and sculptures can fetch considerable prices.
An elegant hat
A must-have accessory at the start of your trip! You'll appreciate its flexibility and the protection it offers under the rays of the Panamanian sun. But you'll need to find out for yourself, as the hats commonly known as "panama" are not native to the isthmus, but to Ecuador. The name given to the Ecuadorian hat comes from the expression "panama hats" used by Americans to designate the hats worn at the beginning of the last century by canal workers and engineers, many of whom were from Ecuador. The elegant hats worn by Panamanians, especially in the interior of the country, are called pintado (or pinta'o). Made from plant fibers, they originate from the village of La Pintada. Hats are also made in Ocú, the ocueños, with a slightly different style recognizable by their unique white color. In December 2017, its artisanal process, which uses plant fibers to weave the various elements of the hat, was inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The quality of a hat can be recognized by its weave and the variety of talco patterns. The more turns(vueltas) required to weave a hat, the finer the work. To get an idea, take a hat and count the number of woven horizontal bands sewn together. A seven-turn hat takes four to five days to make and costs around US$30 (US$50 for nine turns). A twenty-turn hat can cost up to US$600. If you look at the different models, you'll notice that some have small dark-brown or black designs, 2 cm long: these are called talcos. There is a wide variety, and in the old days, anyone wearing a sombrero with lots of talcos was said to be in love(el enamorado). Find out more, as there are many ways to wear a pintado, depending on whether you're a tough guy, an intellectual, a young man or a wise old man..
A good bottle... of rum
The rum saga started late in Panamá, around 1936, but the drink quickly caught on to the extent that Seco herrerano, the most popular, is considered the country's national liqueur. Well, let's face it, tasting this cheap white spirit is best reserved for village festivals. It's served with milk: seco con vaca, literally "seco with cow". It's best to go for amber rums, especially those from the Carta Vieja distillery or Ron Abuelo, whose range is expanding to include aged rums that have nothing to envy their Caribbean neighbors. Today, most of the country's spirits are produced on the Azuero peninsula. Enthusiasts are sure to find what they're looking for.
A coffee of great vintage
It is in the Panamanian highlands of Chiriquí, with its volcanic soils and numerous microclimates, that one can speak with passion about the aromatic complexity that emanates from this steaming beverage, but it is renowned throughout the country, and even beyond Panamanian borders. Some varieties, such as the geisha, are so prized that a kilo can reach $9,000! And if, by chance, you don't have that budget, you will certainly find a coffee that suits you, with fruity or gourmet notes. The ideal is to combine the purchase with a tasting, directly in one of the farms of the valley of flowers and the eternal spring. The trick is to choose your place of purchase carefully, because the coffee generally served in cafeterias and restaurants could well put you on the wrong road...
