Chinchorro Colombian Indigenous XXXL
Wayúu hammocks are today much more than an object of decoration and rest. They represent the work of indigenous women and the victory of the years of war that these communities suffered, these hammocks represent life, indigenous life.
- Extra fine wire
- Double-sided hammock
- Production time: 4 months
- Single model
The Wayúu6 hammock: A sample of tradition and thought
Wayúu fabrics fascinate with their colors, their designs and the complexity of their techniques. For this indigenous community that lives in La Guajira, weaving represents more than a cultural activity and the heritage of their ancestors. It also allows them to express their vision, feel and understand life.
For this reason, the traditional patterns of their fabrics are representations that symbolize elements of nature that surround them in their daily lives: plants, animals, myths and beasts.
Origin of Wayúu weaving
One of the Wayúu legends tells that in an unidentified place on the desert peninsula of Guajija, Irunuu, a young Wayúu hunter found an orphan girl, abandoned to her fate. He took her home, delivering her to her sisters, in order to take care of her and teach her women's trades. Rejected from the start by his sisters, he was forced to take care of her but when Irunuu had to be absent, the girl was insulted and mistreated.
One night when she was alone, she transformed into a beautiful young girl and took out of her mouth the threads with which she weaved wonderful colorful hammocks. Discovering these fabrics, the sisters informed their brother that they had made these hammocks themselves. However, Irunuu quickly discovered the young girl's qualities, and punished the sisters by transforming them into bats; Irunuu, in love with the girl, wanted to hold her, but when he tried to hug her, a piece of cobweb remained in his hands. The beautiful young girl had transformed into a spider and disappeared among the branches of a tree.
Affected by his disappearance, Irunuu returned home to collect the fabrics and put them away so that new Wayúu generations could learn the art of weaving. In this way, the varied expression of the fabric began to spread throughout the peninsula.
There are two basic techniques: crochet and looms.
Spanish monks introduced the crochet technique. It is used for smaller pieces, using a single strand. A bag can be woven in about 20 days. In recent years, due to the demand for these pieces, two-thread bags have begun to be manufactured to finish more quickly.
The larger pieces, like the hammocks, are woven on a rudimentary loom, called Anütpala. The loom is assembled using two forked trunks (añiruwi) anchored vertically to the ground. These trunks in turn support two horizontals, which function as crosspieces to extend the chain.
