Arrow cane weaving

Description

The “vueltiao” hat has traveled around the world and is a symbol of Colombian cultural identity. Its origin dates back to the settlements of the Zenú culture, before the arrival of the conquerors. The arrow reed “Gynerium sagittatum”, material with which the vueltiao hat is woven, is extracted from a palm native to the region.

The process of the production chain is as follows: sowing, after six months the leaves are cut, the vein is scraped until it is clean and the leaves are separated to obtain the fibers with which they will be woven, they are left to dry in the sun, the strips are selected to give them the desired color.

To obtain the black color, they are placed in mud rich in alkaline substances such as jagua or bija for three days. They are cooked three times until obtaining the characteristic black color.
The rest are cooked with sour cane buds and left to dry in the sun, which gives them their white color.

The women are the ones who weave the braid, the motifs known as “pintas” symbolize elements of nature such as animals, plants and flowers that have picturesque names to describe the designs: cocorilla flower: fan heart; grain of rice or coca.

The weaving of the braid is done with an odd number of strands, from eleven to twenty-seven, which determines the fineness of the hat.  The men are in charge of sewing the braids on sewing machines, which requires great skill and knowledge of the designs or patterns.

Currently the products have diversified and today you can find carpets and rugs; individual; bags and briefcases; wallets and purses and furniture upholstered in arrow cane. The hat has been used by presidents, athletes and celebrities who have made it known throughout the world. Cane arrow products are widely received in national and international markets and generate significant income for approximately 9,000 people dedicated to the trade in the departments of Córdoba and Sucre.

Ana Lucía Talaigua and her husband Marcial Montalvo have a family business, they taught the trade to their children, just as they learned it from their elders. Marcial has been a leader in his community and promoter of the dissemination of the trade, he has received several awards and has been invited to international events, always as an ambassador and proud representative of his culture and traditions.

Bibliography
Duque, Duque, C. Masters of Colombian – South American Popular Art. Publisher: Panamericana (2010).
Colombian crafts. National Economic Census, Craft Sector. 1998.

EnglishCaña Flecha Weaving

The "vueltiao" hat has traveled around the world and is a symbol of Colombian cultural identity. Its origin goes back to the settlements of the Zenú culture, before the arrival of the conquistadors. The "Gynerium sagittatum" arrow cane, the material from which the vueltiao hat is woven, is extracted from a palm tree native to the region.

The process of the production chain is as follows: sowing, then after six months the leaves are cut, the veins are scraped until they are clean and the leaves are separated to obtain the fibers with which they will be woven, they are left to dry in the sun, the strips are selected to give them the desired color. To obtain the black colour, they are placed in mud rich in alkaline substances such as jagua or bija for three days. They are cooked three times until the characteristic black color is obtained. The remaining ones are cooked with sour cane buds and left to dry in the sun, which gives them a white color.

The women are the ones who weave the braid, the motifs known as 'pintas' symbolize elements of nature such as animals, plants and flowers which have pictures that names to describe the designs: cocorilla flower: fan heart; rice granite or the cocá. The weaving of the braid is done with an odd number of strands, from eleven to twenty-seven, which determines the fineness of the hat.  The men are responsible for sewing the braids on sewing machines, which requires great skill and knowledge of the designs or patterns.

Nowadays, the products have diversified and today you can find carpets and rugs; placemats; handbags and briefcases; wallets and purses; and furniture upholstered in cane arrow. The hat has been used by presidents, sportsmen and celebrities who have made it known all over the world. Caña arrow products are well received in national and international markets and generate important income for approximately 9,000 people dedicated to the craft in the departments of Córdoba and Sucre.

Ana Lucía Talaigua and her husband Marcial Montalvo have a family business, they taught the trade to their children, just as they learned it from their elders. Marcial has been a leader in his community and a promoter of the dissemination of the craft, he has received several awards and has been invited to international events, always as an ambassador and proud representative of his culture and traditions.