About Our Tagua Carvings

Our Panama tagua carvings are painted with brightly colored dyes made from plants and berries from the rainforest.

The tagua we sell from Ecuador is unpainted, and instead it is heated to turn it shades of tan and brown. The longer it is held in hot water, the darker it becomes.

Tagua Carvings of Panama

The tagua nut has a strong resemblance to animal ivory, making it a wonderful resource for creating all types of beautiful things.  For many years, the tagua nut was used primarily for making buttons but with new technology and more affordable materials such as plastics, a decline began.  Even so, the tagua nut still has value in the making of other things to include chess set pieces, jewelry, handles for canes, dice, figurines, etc.  In fact, many of the Victorian jewelry pieces made from the tagua nut are quite expensive.

The positive aspect of the tagua nut is that just one tree produces enough ivory to equal that of a female elephant trunk, meaning by choosing tagua, innocent animals are spared.  Because of this, today we see the tagua nut again becoming very popular as more and more people are fighting to protect endangered species used for ivory.  The only downfall is that these nuts, which grow in the rainforests of Panama, Ecuador, and a few other places around the world, are all harvested by hand to ensure the trees are not harmed. As you can imagine, the process is labor intensive.  However, it does create needed jobs in these areas of the world!

The other benefit of using the tagua nut from Panama is that the rainforest is being protected as a sustainable income for the people.  By growing these trees and keeping them harvested, forests are not degrading into poor quality land.  That means the rainforest can remain a beautiful part of our world while the local tribesmen have income that helps when caring for their families.

The tagua tree is more like a palm tree that will grow upwards of 30 feet tall.  Thriving on the damp areas of the rainforest, you will actually find different species of the tagua palm.  As the tagua nut grows, it develops into protected clusters, each consisting of several egg-sized nuts.  When the nuts are young, they are very tender, almost jelly like.  Inside the young nuts is a special type of liquid that the people living in the rainforest love to drink.  Additionally, many of the animals eat the tagua nut as a part of their regular diet.  Then, as the tagua nut matures, it becomes extremely hard and durable, thus becoming a perfect choice for magnificent creations.

Tagua nut carvings from Panama have been such a great source of income for the forest people, giving them back self-sufficiency and pride.  Many of these people are no longer able to live a full tribal life simply because of the demise of the rainforest so this type of harvesting allows them to retain their sense of self and history.  Today, we sadly see many highways and modern buildings being built right through rainforests, causing this natural resource to erode.  The good news is that many organizations have been formed to protect this type of land, with great success.

Once the tagua nuts are picked from the ground, the artisans carve them into amazing pieces.  Interestingly, these carvings are so detailed and perfect, that many have become prized collections throughout the world.  You will find that many of the tagua nut carvings from Panama depict the nature of the rainforest to include monkeys, birds, and various other animals.  In fact, the carvings are typically considered an artistic expression for these tribal men, giving them the opportunity to incorporate their feelings, dreams, and aspirations into the designs.

In addition to figurines, the tagua nut is also commonly used for making everyday eating and cooking utensils.  Some of the spirit sticks were used for ceremonies by the rainforest shamans (witch doctors) as well.

Tagua Carvings of Ecuador

Located in the northwest portion of Ecuador, a unique venture began called the Tagua Initiative was formed.  This began in 1990 by Conservation International as a means of creating economic incentives associated with the tagua palm nut, trying to find a way for the harvests to be sustained.  Because of this initiative, today we see almost 2,000 people belonging to the Comuna Rio Santiago-Cayapas, holding down jobs.  However, these jobs depend on the rainforest being left unharmed, allowing the tagua nut to continue growing.

The tagua plant is somewhat like a palm tree that produces a nut.  When this nut is young it tender, being filled with a liquid that the people living in the rainforest drink.  However, as the tagua nut matures, it becomes very hard at which time it falls from the tree.  Once on the ground, the people harvest it to create amazing things.  Interesting, the nuts that are not used for carving are created into “bricks” used as a fuel source because of the high heat production.

The tagua plant must grow for about 20 years before it starts to produce fruit.  Even so, the nuts are not good for harvesting for five to eight years after fruit is produced.  Therefore, it is not a plant that could be profitable but its nuts are.  The root system of this plant has a 98% survival rate if burned.  Therefore, even if there were to be a horrendous fire, the tree would be rained on and continue to grow.  Because the tree produces such a versatile nut, by purchasing things made from the tagua, the rainforest is being protected.

Although the tagua plant can be found in other places, Ecuador is just one of a few countries where you can find it.  Because the tagua nut is hard and resistant, while still being beautiful, it is considered a prized possession, often used in the making of precious jewelry.  Other things the tagua nut is used for include chess set pieces, figurines, key chains, buttons, and much more.

Prior to plastic buttons being introduced in the United States, approximately 20% were actually made from the tagua nut.  In fact, during the 1920’s, $5 million annually was brought into Ecuador for the exportation of the tagua buttons.  These buttons, along with the other type of tagua carvings are often called vegetable ivory because of the color and texture.  Since animal ivory is on the decline, the tagua nuts have been considered a great substitute without anything being harmed.

Care and Handling

Return to our Store:

Tagua of Panama | Tagua of Ecuador | Netsuke - Tagua Nut

> Main About our Products Page <