Caraguatá Fiber Weavings Bags
Beautiful unique and one of a kind South American Nivacle Tribe bag
This roomy Ehnic bag is eco friendly and totally handmade of Caraguata plants and hand dyied with natural colors from trees.
It looks awesome, a very ethnic and green look
This item was purchased directly from the Tribes in Paraguay.
Each bag is unique and one of a kind.
This bag measures: 8.5 inches long, 10.5 inches wide and has an opening of 8.5 inches, the straps are 15 inches long.
The bag still has its original smoky smell.
Process:
The material used for the weavings is from a bromeliad species called caraguatá. The leaves of this plant are gathered in the countryside and the fiber is extracted from them. Afterwards the fiber is placed in the sun to dry and whiten.
Once the fiber has dried, it can now be made into thread. The woman takes two strands of caraguatá and rolls them across her thigh towards her knee, forming two fine threads. As she rolls the thread back they intertwine forming one strong thread. Once she has a strong thread she passes it through a bath of natural dyes, made of boiled leaves, roots, vines or resin. Sometimes ash is added to the dye to help it bind to the thread. To obtain strong colors the threads must be dyed several times, a process that can take the entire day.
Colors:
- Red, Maroon - Made from the root of the Curupay plant.
- Black, Grey, dark maroon - Made from the sap of the carob tree
- Gray, Violet - Made for the Guayacan fruit
- Dark red - Made from the roots of the Aromita or Tusca plant
Each Nivaclé woman uses her own traditional styles in each piece. Along with traditional styles, the woman invents her own designs. This mix of traditional and individual design ensures that each piece is different and cannot be copied.
