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Craft Techniques of Suriname

The Depository documents 8 techniques in Suriname; by risk level: 1 critically endangered, 7 endangered. Each record opens with a public summary; the full research record is free to view once registered.

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Woodwork & Carving

  • Maroon Tembe Wood CarvingWoodwork & Carving · Endangered

    A geometric relief wood-carving tradition practiced by men of Suriname's Maroon peoples — descendants of enslaved Africans who escaped Dutch plantations in the 17th–18th centuries and established free societies deep in the rainforest…

  • Wayana Maluwana Disc PaintingWoodwork & Carving · Critically Endangered

    The carving and painting of the maluwana, a large decorated wooden disc cut from the sacred Ceiba pentandra (silk-cotton/kapok) tree and suspended at the central peak of the tukusipan, the traditional round community house of the Wayana…

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Stone & Gemstone Carving

  • Ndyuka Maroon Calabash CarvingStone & Gemstone Carving · Endangered

    A women's carving tradition among the Ndyuka Maroon people of Suriname, in which the dried shell of the calabash fruit is cut, hollowed, and carved into spoons and dishes bearing distinctive curvilinear designs.

  • Paramaribo Wooden Colonial CarpentryStone & Gemstone Carving · Endangered

    A distinctive timber-frame carpentry tradition that produced the plain, symmetrical, white-painted wooden buildings of Paramaribo's historic inner city, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002 specifically for representing the…

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Musical Instruments

  • Apinti Talking-Drum Making and Drum-Language TrainingMusical Instruments · Endangered

    The carving, skinning, and tuning of the apinti, a single-headed conical membranophone central to Suriname Maroon communities (Ndyuka/Aukan, Saamaka, Paramaka, Aluku, Kwinti, Matawai), paired with the intensive oral training required to…

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Basketry & Woven Fiber

  • Kalina Palm-Fiber Cassava Sifter BasketryBasketry & Woven Fiber · Endangered

    A palm-fiber basket-weaving technique of the Kalina (Carib) people of Suriname's north-central interior, producing square, loosely woven sifter baskets set within a wooden frame, used to process cassava into fine, lump-free flour for…

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Ceramics & Pottery

  • Kalina Takuwa-Polished Ceramic Vessel-MakingCeramics & Pottery · Endangered

    A hand-built pottery tradition of Kari'na (Kalina/Carib) women, consolidated as a distinct ceramic style over at least 200 years across Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana, and Brazil.

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Embroidery & Lace

  • Maroon Pangi Textile Patchwork and AppliquéEmbroidery & Lace · Endangered

    A women's textile tradition among Suriname's Maroon peoples in which a rectangular wrap cloth, the pangi, is constructed and decorated using techniques that have shifted across recognizable historical style periods — patchwork assembly…

All embroidery & lace techniques worldwide →