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Decorative objects in Werregue
Decorative objects in Werregue Decorative objects in Werregue

Decorative objects in Werregue

By: Casa Chiqui
Illustration:

In Colombia you will find unique and collectible decorative objects woven in Werregue, a highly resistant and versatile natural palm fibre. Thanks to a handmade weave, colours, and shape, they have an iconic style.

These pieces are entirely handmade by the Wounaan indigenous community, who use traditional techniques to cultivate the palm, extract its fibre and weave the pieces.

Wérregue, Werregue or Weguer, pronounced veguer in the indigenous language of the Wounaan community, is used to create a variety of baskets and products with geometric and organic designs of various meanings.

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What is werregue made of?

The werregue handicrafts are made with a natural fibre that comes from the leaves of the werregue palm, a highly resistant and versatile jungle palm. The women create the thread and design the handicrafts, while the men obtain the plant, which is the raw material.

The werregue palm grows in mangrove swamps where the water is low and has a thorn-covered trunk up to 20 metres high, and is traditionally cultivated during the waning moon, after a ritual to ask permission for its extraction.

Are werregue handicrafts sustainable?

Traditionally, the men of the community felled the werregue palm; today, however, they obtain the bud and leaves without felling the werregue palm. This protects the palm species as well as the community's long-term craftsmanship.

As all other processes are manual and make use of organic plant material such as plants and seeds, it is a 100% sustainable and environmentally friendly product.

How is werregue yarn made?

The yarn is created by hand by the women of the community. The leaves are cut, separated into strips and fibres, 2-8 threads thick. These are cooked to cure them against fungus and increase their strength. Although the threads are also used in their natural colour, they are cooked with vegetable dyes when they want to give them colour.

The use of colour was the result of the influence of Capuchin missionary nuns, who advised them to expand their designs with colour.

What is werregue dyed with?

The distinctive colours of the werregue handicrafts are given by the natural colour of the fibre and the use of different vegetable dyes, which the community extracts from the forest:

  • Black, with Puchama, a liana and medicinal plant.
  • Yellow, with the Seed of the Bija or Achiote fruit.
  • Orange, with Saffron.

The fibres are cooked in water with the respective natural dye, stirring with a wooden stick, and left to soak for 30 minutes to fix the colour. To test the colour, lemon, salt or alum is added, and if the colour fades, it means that the colour has reached its ideal saturation, and the fibre must be taken off the fire before it is damaged. The yarns are then washed and left to dry in the sun to enhance their lustre and increase the durability of the fibre. As a finish, the yarns are rubbed and shined.

The Wounaan community

The tradition of working with werregue is preserved and passed on from generation to generation within the Wounaan or Waunana community. Weaving becomes a way of recording their worldview, and in the teaching of this tradition, the stories and culture are passed on to the young.

The Wounaan live on the banks of the San Juan River, between the departments of Chocó and Valle del Cauca in Colombia, and in the Emberá-Wounaan comarca of Panama.

The tradition of designing and making objects, apart from continuing their ethnic heritage, serves as a livelihood for the communities, being an integral part of trade with other cultures.

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Crafts in Werregue

There are a variety of art objects, ranging from traditional baskets to unique pieces with few specimens. Some of the most common craft varieties are:

  • Baskets
  • Trays
  • Plates
  • Fruit bowls
  • Mugs
  • Bags

Each product is distinguished as a unique piece, due to its organic materials, the handmade process, and the variety of designs of the objects and figures depicted. They are used for home decoration, and as part of private collectors' collections of ethnic decorative objects.

Werregue decorative basket

The werregue basket is an iconic Colombian product, and the most representative of the products made from this material. It is characterised by an elegant oval silhouette and depictions of patterns representative of the history and emotions of the community.

Due to the manufacturing process, and the structural challenges, larger baskets generally have a considerably higher value than smaller baskets. Other factors that affect this are symmetry, how tightly woven the weave is, and the definition of the patterns that adorn them.

How are werregue baskets made?

The werregue baskets are woven with palm thread. The traditional manual process consists of creating cord as the "soul" or structural support of the piece; it is then wound with a thinner thread and on this frame the base is woven, in the case of the basket, and then the walls, weaving from the bottom upwards. They use a spiral weaving technique, alternating threads with colours to create the distinctive figures and patterns.

To make the pieces, the artisans connect with the territory where they plant and cultivate the palm, with the community's homeland, and where they are now.

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Images and Representations of werregue

Distinctive designs of geometric, zoomorphic and anthropomorphic patterns and figures are distinctive elements of werregue weaving. The shape of the figure is defined by the spiral weaving technique, as the shape and colour depends on the incorporation of the dyed yarns.

The visual style that the Wounaan artisans design tends towards figures determined by straight, vertical lines, which run from the base outwards and upwards. As the figures are made with threads and are not painted on the surface, the illusion of curves and movement is given by the artisans' ability to calculate the position and extension of each thread. In this, it is similar to pixel art, which achieves complexity, form and movement with strict limitations.

Left: Spiral ; Right: Mother Earth's Tears

Wounaan Symbology

The figures depicted on the vases and other pieces speak of various themes,

In their art, the history and cosmovision of the community, the jungle and its values are recorded. It is the way to transmit this knowledge to the next generations, as they do not have their own writing.

A frequently used motif expresses the tears of our mother earth, represented by a horizontal pattern of vertical lines, which speaks of how the rain comes from nature crying, only to be calmed down when she dries her tears and is happy again.

Another common motif is the spiral, which is essentially a path, which speaks of purification and abundance. It is constantly present, in the structural soul of the baskets, in the weaving technique, and in some cases it is part of the graphic pattern of the work.

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Earrings and bracelets made of werregue

Among the latest products is werregue jewellery, which applies the same weaving techniques to personal accessories.

In this type of jewellery, a base structure, similar to the core of baskets, is used to shape the earring or bracelet, and is covered in werregue fibre, weaving the decorative patterns. This results in unusual pieces, very different from modern metal and resin jewellery.

The werregue jewellery has a light, handcrafted quality, with a distinctly local look.

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Exclusive Werregues for Casa Chiqui

Casa Chiqui has a variety of Werregues, with unique designs and special sizes. We handle unusual and innovative designs, and giant baskets that are rare and difficult or impossible to find. We work closely with the indigenous communities of Chocó, thanks to an alliance we have cultivated over the years, collaborating in the elaboration, design, and support of their work for the livelihood of the community.

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