Shipibo-Conibo

Medicine songs have inspired artistic tradition and decorative designs found in their clothing, pottery, tools, and textiles.

Shipibo-Conibo women make beadwork and textiles and are known for their pottery, decorated with maze-like red and black geometric patterns.

While these ceramics were traditionally made for use in the home, an expanding tourist market has provided many households with extra income through the sale of pots and other craft items.

Large numbers of the population have relocated to urban areas—in particular the eastern Peruvian city of Pucallpa and Yarinacocha District—to gain access to better educational and health services as well as to look for alternative sources of income.

Like all other indigenous populations in the Amazon basin, the Shipibo-Conibo are threatened by severe pressure from outside influences, such as oil speculation, logging, narco-trafficking, and conservation.

Shipibo pottery in the Museo de América , Madrid, Spain
Traditional embroidery featuring the Shipibo-Conibo pattern known as kené
Distribution of the Shipibo-Conibo (marked with an arrow) amongst other Pano-speaking ethnicities (shown in dark green)