Pinaldos de Orisha

Pinaldos de Orisha — ceremonial knives (cuchillos ceremoniales) made in the traditional style for ritual, altar work and offerings in the Santería tradition.

Each pinaldo reflects the Orisha it serves: Eleguá in red and black, Obatalá in white, Shangó in red and white, Oshún in yellow and gold, Ogún in green and black. They are made by hand, finished cleanly, and kept to the proportions the work calls for rather than to a decorative shape.

These are working pieces, and every one is not consecrated — the office a pinaldo carries is given to it by a Santero or Santera, never by the shop.

See also mazos de Orisha and Orisha tools.