This mask is woven by women from the Emberá tribe of the southern Darien rainforests of Panama. Emberá masks depict local animals and animal spirits. They are made from split palm leaves, dyed naturally, and woven in the home. Each piece is a creative expression of the weaver; therefore no two pieces are exactly the same. Emberá shamans, religious authorities that link man with the spirit world, use these masks in healing and cleansing rituals, hanging them from posts and the ceiling of the hut in which the rites take place.