Mopa Mopa Wooden Dove Hand-Crafted In Colombia, Barniz De Pasto , One Of A Kind

The Barniz de Pasto is a globally unique artisan technique that has been used for centuries in San Juan de Pasto, Columbia. Wooden objects, ranging from chests and bargueño writing desks to boxes and trays, are decorated with the resin of a wild scrub tree known in the indigenous language as mopa mopa which is a resin that has undergone a complex process. This ancestral technique, passed down through the generations, has resulted in a number of authentic works of art executed from the 16th century to the present day. The art of Barniz de Pasto bears living testimony to the cultural mestizaje that came about in Colombia, as the arrival of the Spanish gave rise to a fusion of pre-Hispanic techniques and Western styles, resulting in these beautiful and stunning pieces. As recently as 2020, the Barniz de Pasto was added to the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. First, the leaf buds of the Mopa Mopa trees are extracted and boiled in water to first become a resin-like material similar to gum. Natural color is added from either mineral stones or vegetable dyes. Then the artisans do something very unusual: In a most unique technique, the artisans pull the gum into fragile sheets with their hands and mouths, stretching it out and chewing it to give it the right amount of shine and to obtain the right consistency. 4.5 in high 7 in length 3 in width