Descripción
Wayúu, es un pueblo aborigen de filiación lingüística Arawac. Habita la Península de la Guajira, territorio fronterizo con Colombia. Tiene una población estimada en 700.000 habitantes. De ellos, 300.000 viven en Venezuela.
La etnia Wayuu es una sociedad organizada por castas matrilineales. Se estiman 30 clanes identificados por un animal totémico.
Las mujeres de la comunidad son tejedoras de hamacas y ceramistas consagradas. Ambos oficios los aprenden durante el “encierro”. Práctica que aún conservan para formar a las niñas en los oficios del hogar al llegar a la edad de pubertad.
Tejen una variedad de hamacas. Su obra maestra es la hamaca doble cara, muy laboriosa. Este modelo recibió en el año 2002 el Premio UNESCO de Artesanías.
Materias primas:
- They use cotton and mercerized thread to weave the hammocks and acrylic wool for the tapestries.
- They use clays and rust for mucuras or special clay jars to preserve fresh water. They also make very typical funeral urns and dolls.
- Wood for homes, drums and other uses.
- The techniques they practice are pre-Hispanic.
- They weave hammocks on a vertical loom. Men’s girdles and belts are made using the palletizing technique.
- On wooden frames they embroider wool tapestries where they express their fantasies.
- The ceramic is molded by hand using a wheel system and the burning is done over an open fire with cují and cardón wood.
Marketing
They have fixed stands along the roads and fulfill orders from specialized stores throughout the country. They export tapestries to France, Germany, the United States and Japan.
Photos: from the Crafts and Folklore Archive and by Janeth Ipuana
English
Wayuu women’s craftsWayúu is an aboriginal people of Arawac linguistic affiliation. They inhabit the Guajira Peninsula, a border territory with Colombia. It has an estimated population of 700,000 inhabitants. Of these, 300,000 live in Venezuela. The Wayuu are a matrilineal caste society. There are an estimated 30 clans identified by a totemic animal.
The women of the community are dedicated hammock weavers and potters. Both trades are learned during the «confinement». This practice is still used to train girls in the household trades when they reach puberty. They weave a variety of hammocks. Their masterpiece is the very elaborate double-sided hammock. This model was awarded the UNESCO Crafts Prize in 2002.
They use cotton and mercerised yarn to weave the hammocks and acrylic wool for the tapestries. They use clay and rust for the «múcuras» or special earthenware jars to preserve fresh water. They also make funerary urns and very typical dolls.
Wood for houses, drums and other uses. The techniques they practice are pre-Hispanic.
They weave hammocks on a vertical loom. Male sashes and belts are made using the «paleteado» technique. On wooden frames, they embroider woolen tapestries in which they embody their fantasies. The pottery is molded by hand using the «rodete» system and the burning is done over an open fire with «cují» and «cardón» wood. They have fixed stalls along the roads and take orders from specialized shops all over the country. Some export tapestries to France, Germany, the United States and Japan.
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