Indigenous Ritual Benches from 51 Ethnic Groups Showcased in Brasília Exhibition

The exhibition 'Bancos Indígenas do Brasil: Rituais' at the Museu Nacional da República in Brasília displays 600 wooden benches from the Coleção Bei, amassed over two decades by Marisa Moreira Salles and Tomás Alvim. Selected from 1,3 thousand pieces, the works represent 51 ethnic groups across Brazil, presenting a diversity rarely matched in indigenous art. The benches, primarily carved from single pieces of wood like trunks or roots, follow natural forms and serve mostly ceremonial purposes, including seats for shamans (pajés) and chiefs (caciques). The exhibition, running until 22 February, was highlighted by First American Art Magazine as one of the ten best native art exhibitions of 2025. It initially opened during the COP 30 conference in Belém do Pará in November and is accompanied by displays at other iconic Brasília sites like the Palácio Itamaraty and the Memorial dos Povos Indígenas. Curated by a team of indigenous curators including Akauã Kamayurá and Antonio Bane Huni-Kuí, the show emphasizes the benches' role in rituals of seclusion, passage, harvest thanks, healing, and remembrance of the dead. Animal motifs like pumas, frogs, monkeys, crabs, marmosets, two-headed hawks, vultures, tapirs, pacas, and armadillos are intricately carved, bringing the forest's diversity into village life. The collection also features a fabulous selection of clubs, paddles, spears, hatchets, and other objects surrounding the central benches.