BlowgunsNW.com: Yagua Peru Blowgun

SHIPPING NOTE: The product weight weighs out at approximately 7-9 pounds. UPS considers this product "oversize" when weight plus box dimensions of 61 (or more)x5x5 are used. Therefore, the shipping weight is reflected at 30-70 pounds by UPS. You can check this information on UPS.com. Once there you will be asked a series of questions. ORIGIN: use our zip code of 98258. DESTINATION ZIP CODE: use your zip code. Pick "residential" box. DROP OFF/PICK UP: Daily; PACKAGING: Your packaging; PACKAGE WEIGHT: 8 lbs. PACKAGE DIMENSIONS: 80x6x6. INSURED VALUE: leave blank. Select "calculate."

PURCHASE INCLUDES: Yagua pucunas (blowgun) with quiver (dart holder). Each quiver (dart holder) holds approximately four (4) darts which are included. All items are hand crafted.

As each blowgun and quiver is hand crafted, it is hard to tell what design will be on the quivers when they arrive here. The picture shows on the left (sample photo) demonstrates how some quivers may have Piranha teeth attached to the quiver which are used for sharpening the darts. Other quivers may have spines from other animals attached to the quiver. Some blowguns don't have sharpening tools - depends on the maker of the blowgun. The darts are made of palm-leaf midrib and tuffed with kapoc fiber. They are carried in a quiver made from pleated palm leaves. A small huingo "gourd" attached to the quiver holds a supply of kapoc fiber to tuft the darts.

NUMBERS: Each blowgun and canister that arrives at our location has a specific tag with a number assigned to it. The tribes people are very superstitious and believe that the quiver that is made for the blowgun MUST stay together to bring good luck in hunting. When you receive your blowgun, the blowgun and the quiver should have matching numbers.

PICTURES: There are a number of pictures here for viewing. When clicking on these links to view the pictures it will open a new browser. Just close the browser with the picture in it once you are done viewing. You will stay on this page.

TRIBAL INFORMATION: These blowguns are from the Yagua village, Peru. Yagua Indians usually use these blowguns for hunting monkeys, tree porcupines, pacas, sloths, birds and other small rainforest animals. Yagua is an exotic tribe of Indians who live their most natural lives in the depth of the Amazon jungle within Peru. Getting these blowguns usually is by speedboat and cruising the majestic waterways of the Amazon system.

The Yaguas speak their own and very difficult language by the same name. They refuse to learn Spanish and show almost total apathy towards what we call "civilized way of life." Only the chief travels to Iquitos, some 30 miles away and half an hour by speedboat, about once a week, to purchase food stuff and other essentials for the Yaguas. The rest of the tribe stays put. The Yagua people live along the Amazon River from roughly Iquitos, Peru to Leticia, Colombia. They are good with handicrafts so some of their bead work usually shows up on the dart quivers. The Yagua are skilled craft workers. The men make nice wood carvings of animal figures, decorative blowguns and bows and arrows.

Economically, the Yaguas are a subsistence people. They grow crop, hunt and fish. Their hospitality and sociability to tourists and outsiders is also a source of needed funds. Your purchase of this blowgun helps the tribal people.

There is one dreadful anthropological fact about the Yaguas: they are the direct descendants of recent cannibals.

SHIPPING INFORMATION: These blowguns range from 6-7' in length. We ship by UPS. UPS does consider this blowgun an "oversize" blowgun. The blowguns when boxed usually weigh anywhere from 5-7 pounds. We have to put three boxes together for reinforcement which adds weight. Even though it weighs 5-7 pounds, with the dimensions of this blowgun and the box (box is 80x6x6) UPS says it is equivalent to 30 pounds because of the dimensional size and weight. The cost of shipping can run anywhere from $19-$30 by ground. Sometimes it is cheaper to go three day select. We recommend this method as it is less time in transit and the chances of damage is less. UPS three day usually is only $3-4.00 more. We will confirm all orders and let you know the cost for your area once you place your order for this item.