Ashaninka Men's Cushma (Ceremonial Robe) Red & Black Stripe

Among the many different Amazonian cultures, the culture of the Ashaninka is one of the most preserved. In the tribal communities they continue to live as they have for thousands of years, and there are even some groups who live deep in the Amazon and have to this continue to live uncontacted nomadic lifestyles. Things such as clothing, jewelry, and make up are key cornerstones of the Ashaninka’s culture. The Cushma, or as its known in Ashaninka Kitharentsi, is a piece of garb common in many different tribal cultures. For many of the Ashaninka the Cushma represents a person’s primary article of clothing and is often worn every day. The Cushma offers different levels of protection in the physical sense, from insects, thorns, or other jungle dangers, while also offering a degree of spiritual protection to the wearer.

This Cushma is made specifically for men. The vertical lines represent the male energy, while horizontal lines represent the female energy. Cushma’s can exhibit many different colors which are meant to invoke different energies. This Cushma includes the colors red and black. In the Ashaninka culture red represents blood, life and vitality, while black represents strength and the energy of the warrior. This cushma was purchased directly from the Ashaninka village of Apiwtxa to support the women who spend weeks to months making each one. While there may be similar ones in terms of color, each cushma is truly one of a kind. This is a specialty item that is both difficult to make and very rare.