Manual weaving with natural fibers

Description

Manual weaving and basket weaving with natural fibers in the Dominican Republic dates back to pre-Columbian times with the cotton and palm weaves that the Taino aborigines made for clothing and idols.

The making of the traditional wide-mouth bag (bag with strap) made of guano palm (Coccothrinax barbadensis) is one of the main crafts of this technique, of vertical and horizontal weaving, which begins its making with the new bud of the palm.

Regarding the making of this bag, there is a record of its wide use since the beginning of the 19th century, in the writings of Pedro Francisco Bonó, a Dominican thinker who highlighted the social and economic importance of the set of activities that he called “industries”, referring to the artisanal production of organas, serones, mats, backpacks, tackle, brooms, water bowls, chairs, hats, hammocks and baskets in communities of the Cibao Region (communities around the greater valley). of the country.

As for the making of hats, its origins are Spanish from Palma Cana (Sabal umbraculifera). As indicated in the following quote from Walter Cordero, a researcher on these topics.

 “There is no evidence in the writings of Indian chroniclers that the aborigines were weavers. 

 In recent years there has been an interest in converting the traditional duffel bag into fashionable casual bags with painted decorations.

in acrylics of country and sea landscapes.

Other modifications to the guano bag were made by the MICM, (2021) through its Division of Promotion of Crafts-DFA with the participation of the Corazón a Corazón y Artesanía de Frontera Foundation, a municipal entity that operates a craft center in the border province of Elías Piña, financed by the European Union, to assist artisans from its surroundings and the Central Plateau region of Haiti.

englishWeaving with natural fibers

Hand weaving and basketry with natural fibers in the Dominican Republic date back to pre-Columbian times with the cotton and palm weavings made by the native Taino Indians for clothing and idols.

The making of the traditional wide-mouthed macuto (bag with strap) made of guano palm (Coccothrinax barbadensis) is one of the main handicrafts of this technique, of vertical and horizontal weaving, which begins its making with the new bud of the palm. About the making of this bag, there is a record of its wide use since the beginning of the 19th century, in the writings of Pedro Francisco Bonó, a Dominican thinker who highlighted the social and economic importance of the set of activities he called "industries", referring to the handicraft production of "árganas", "serones", "esteras", "macutos", "aparejos", "escobas", "aguaderas", chairs, hats, hammocks and baskets in communities of the Cibao Region" (communities around the largest valley in the country).

As for the manufacture of hats, their origins are Spanish, made of "palma cana" (Sabal umbraculifera). As the quote from Walter Cordero, a researcher on these subjects, indicates: "There is no evidence in the writings of the Indian chroniclers that the aborigines wove. In recent years there has been an interest in converting the traditional macuto into fashionable casual bags with acrylic-painted decorations of country and seascapes.

Other modifications to the "macuto de guano" were made by the MICM, (2021) through its Division for the Promotion of Crafts-DFA with the participation of the Fundación Corazón a Corazón and Artesanía de Frontera, a municipal entity that operates a crafts center in the border province of Elías Piña, financed by the European Union, to assist artisans in the area and in the Plateau Central region of Haiti.