GUACAMAYAS (BASKETRY IN COIL) (GUACAMAYAS-BOYACÁ)
The basketry in coil is elaborated in the municipality of GUACAMAYAS, department of Boyacá, located in the Andean region in the center-east of Colombia. The weaving of the roll in brightly colored fique with white straw interior is inherited from the pre-Hispanic culture of the Laches tribe, preserving ancestral techniques in which they capture part of their identity, their indigenous origin represented in the original handcrafted pieces.
The process of the production of the basketry in roll begins with the obtaining of the straw and the fique, for this process it begins to extract the fiber through inherited techniques, later this is cleaned and dried being in optimal conditions to weave, but first the fibers are dyed with industrial anilines mixed with natural juices such as lemon, aloe vera, orange and other fruits giving intensity in the colors creating vivid contrasts, in this way the fibers are organized by colors thus obtaining the raw material ready to start weaving.
The basketry practiced in Guacamayas, is made under the technique of the roll, which consists of making a spiral weaving with the inside of straw that is covered with dyed fique threads, this weaving is done with a thick needle, gradually covering the inside to give shape to the handmade product. This technique, passed down for generations, has improved over time, achieving more uniform finishes, according to the skill of the artisan.
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