GUACAMAYA: STOOLS AND BASKETS

The indigenous Laches were the first settlers of Guacamayas, a municipality located north of Boyacá, recognized for the work of “basket weaving in roll or spiral” that talented artisans who inhabit this territory, practiceto create handmade pieces full of tradition and history



Today, the technique has been preserved and maintained with greater force in the artisan community of Guacamayas, it was characterized by its fineness and small diameter of the roll, which in those times was not greater than 4 or 5 millimeters. At that time the natural color (white) of the fique was handled with some red pints (obtained from the cochineal dye), blue and black (obtained with indigo). This function was clearly utilitarian. Basically, small dishes and baskets were produced, some of them used in the old “weights” or scales of food eighing, the wool of the spinners and the products sold in local markets, against a known measure, which in many cases was a stone that was legalized, like a quarter pound or half a pound and chocolate bars that gave the ounces.
This technique inherited by the peasant population of the area continued to be applied to small objects such as saucers, small baskets with a handle and lid and small hats or hats for children.
Large format containers are one of our pieces, since always containing has been the main function of this technique. For us it is important to preserve and give new possible open functions. The tradition in the trade of basket weaving in roll, has been preserved in Guacamayas thanks to the transmission of parents to children
TODAY

The colors of these objects are natural and do not harm the environment in their reforested wood surface process and free of toxic solvents.
Stool or table made handmade by the technique of basket weaving in rool spiral with Fique. Crafts of Colombian tradition.



These objects were presented at the London Design Biennale at Somerset House London 2018.