Panama means:

“Chaquira” necklaces made by the Gnobe Buglé indians.

If you are planning to travel by road to the interior provinces, and enjoy souvenir-hunting as a sport, allow yourself some extra time to get to your final destination. The segment of the Pan-American Highway between the towns of La Chorrera and San Carlos is dotted with small handicraft stands, established by the residents of the area. One of them is Erick Domínguez, a young crafter whose creations are on display at the entrance of the mountain road leading to El Valle de Antón, in the district of San Carlos.

At first sight, anyone could ignore Dominguez’s humble establishment, but not a few passers-by now display the crafter’s works in their home terraces, perhaps in Canada or Europe. "We make anything you wish, from a sun-moon-and-star trio of wall ornaments to reproductions of pre-Columbian Native American artifacts", said Dominguez.

A native of the province of Los Santos, Domínguez is a self-taught potter with over 10 years experience. In addition to souvenirs, he and other members of his family, makes decorative plates, tiles, pot, bricks and tinajas –clay water jars typical of the interior provinces. Prices range between $1.00 for wall ornaments and $60.00 for a four-foot-tall, free standing clay sculpture -- a fraction of what visitors often pay at Panama City stores.

A group of molas, reverse appliqué creations that have made the Kuna Indians, of the San Blas Islands, famous around the world.

Hand-made beauty
Panama’s handicrafts are a reflection of the rich cultural mix of its population. Hand-made works are plentiful and varied and range from the colorful and ceramics of the interior provinces, to jewelry and fabric creations made by the country’s seven Native American ethnic communities.

With help from the national government, Panamanian crafters have organized themselves into an industry in recent years, and are starting to promote their works at important fairs and exhibits around the world. The majority of Isthmian crafters are small farmers and Native Americans and the proceeds of their work is starting to have an impact in the economy of the interior provinces.

The following is a list of handicraft specialties made and marketed in each region of the country:

Rubén Blades, Panama’s Minister of Tourism, is seen here at the Handicraft Fair.

Bocas del Toro: Panama’s northwestern province is known for the works of the Gnobe-Buglé Native American community: chaquiras (necklaces and bracelets made with tiny plastic beads), naguas (Indian female attire) and chácaras (woven bags made with vegetable fibers.)

Coclé: Sombrero pintao hats (Panama’s national headware), woven baskets, toys, stone sculptures, leather goods and hammocks.

Colón: Talwood sculptures, ornaments made with fishing tools (such as nets).

Chiriquí: Gnobe-Buglé Native American works, wooden statuettes, leather goods.

Darién: Wooden objects, and sturdy vegetable-fiber baskets, made by the Emberá-Wounaan Native American communities.

Herrera: The country’s smallest province is its largest producer of ceramic and pottery goods. Excellent woven hats are also made there.

Los Santos: Leather (furniture, saddles etc), Polleras (Panama’s hand-made national female attire), tembleques (head ornaments accompanying the Pollera), embroidery, hammocks, fireworks, and musical instruments.

Panama: Furniture, baskets, floral ornaments, pottery, wooden sculptures, jewelry, silver ornaments.

Veraguas: Gold ornaments, leather goods embroideries, ceramics, Gnobe-Bugle handicrafts.

San Blas Islands: The world-famous molas (reverse-appliqué fabric works) made by the Kuna Indians, wooden sculptures.

“Chácaras” --woven bags made by the Gnobe Buglé indians.

Handicraft markets
In addition to their stands found along the Pan-American Highway, many Panamanian crafters have joined forces with the government to create handicraft markets near or around the country’s most popular tourist venues.

In Panama City, visitors can find good quality and prices at the Old Panama market and the Mercado de Artesanías, located in the neighborhood of Balboa.

There are also seven of these handicraft markets in the interior provinces: Penonomé (province of Coclé), La Peña (Santiago, Veraguas), La Arena (province of Herrera), Metetí (Darién), (Changuinola) Bocas del Toro, Las Tablas (Los Santos), and Las Uvas, San Carlos, located in the western sector of the province of Panama.

Every year, between July and August, approximately 500 crafters from all regions of Panama take part in the National Handicraft Fair, which takes place at Panama City’s Atlapa Convention Center.

A young woman from the Emberá-Wounaan nation shows a well-decorated basket made with vegetable fibers.

Approximately 500 crafters from all parts of Panama will take part in the 29th annual National Handicraft Fair, at Atlapa Convention Center July 26-August 1.

Organized by Panama’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the purpose of the fair is to promote the talent of small craftsmen, many of which come from remote parts of the republic, to offer everything from a table set featuring motifs of the Kuna culture to beautiful Polleras –the country’s national attire for women.

The fair also offers a number of "non-traditional handicrafts", such as regional Panamanian foods and desserts and wines made of local fruits.

The event will include folklore performances, workshops and activities for all ages.

Colorful potery made in La Arena, province of Herrera.