Indigenous Woods of the Carving Zoomorphic Art in the Southern Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Abstract

Trees constitute an inseparable part of artistic expression in many human cultures. The zoomorphic woodcarving art of the Guarani Mbya Indigenous People—an ethnic group that once densely occupied much of South America—embodies the synergy between bioeconomy, technology, art, and ancestral knowledge of trees and their woods. It reflects the millennial sociocultural relationship between humans, their territory, and sustainable management practices aimed at preserving both ancestral culture and biodiversity. This editorial highlights the connection between wood properties and Indigenous carving art within the context of the Atlantic Forest in southern Brazil, aiming to demonstrate ancestral knowledge of the forest and its species.