If the plant is favored by weather and soil conditions, each new leaf that emerges, as it opens, sets a new height for the plant. Its length ranges between 40 cm and 1.20 meters.
Its flowers are hermaphroditic, regularly arranged along a fleshy axis of 5 mm in diameter and 15 to 30 cm in length.
The fruit is green at first and turns yellow-green when ripe; during this period, as the berry opens on its own, it begins to reveal a kind of cherry-like fruit inside.
Raw Material Procurement
The various stages of the process undergo small variations depending on the region or the workers’ techniques, but in general, they follow the same basic treatment, which includes several tasks: harvesting (cutting the bud and petiole, cutting, shredding, and splitting the petiole), cooking, rinsing, bleaching, and drying.
In the various processes of preparing the iraca palm, tools and elements like common machetes, fine-point compasses, metal needles, metal cauldrons, tanks, and stoves are used.
Technique
The weaving technique used by artisans in the making of Iraca products is one of the richest and most delicate in the entire country. Among the tools and implements used in the creation of these crafts are: needles, scissors, tweezers, and pliers.
Once the material to be used is selected, the weaving process begins after two preliminary steps: interweaving and fabric covering. Stitches that can be made include: three-pass, partridge eye, four-pass, wicker, mat, catatumba, four-pass knot, chair bottom, honeycomb I, embroidered diamond, embroidered flower, flowers with petals, and starfish flower.
Dyeing Process
The use of dyed Iraca fiber is becoming increasingly common among artisans. The dyes used for this purpose are divided into natural (using seeds, leaves, bark, and/or roots such as cow’s tongue, walnut, black cedar) and mineral, which allow for a range of different colors (golden yellow, blue, green, terracotta, burgundy, black).
In the case of walnut, a good amount of seeds is needed, which must first be crushed with a stone and boiled with water and mordant. During cooking, the artisan constantly stirs the fiber so that the color is evenly fixed. Before letting the material dry in the shade, the buds must be shaken by the stem so that each straw closes.
Other colorants, such as commercial anilines, are also used to speed up the artisan’s work. This technique is carried out by boiling a solution of water and aniline. The proportion of the dye varies according to each person’s preference, and the mordant is rarely used.
The simplest dyeing consists of giving the straw its natural yellowish color. It is then bleached in a slightly acidulated solution of water mixed with picric and sulfuric acids; afterward, it is removed, drained, and dried. In the case of hats, they should always be placed in a mold whenever they get wet to prevent them from becoming deformed.
In Colombia
The primary use of Iraca and the reason it is known not only nationally but internationally is for making handicrafts. Throughout Colombia, there are numerous regions dedicated to crafting with this raw material. Among these are:
Nariño: One of the most significant in the country, with 62.5% concentrated in four municipalities: Linares, Sandoná, La Cruz, and Pasto, famous for making hats from natural and dyed iraca. The raw material is obtained as white fiber, which is then dyed in various colors using natural or industrial dyes. Today, countless straw items are woven, both by hand and on small looms, such as placemats, bags, purses, little animals, decorations, covers, and various other figures.
Caldas: The weaving technique is practiced exclusively in the municipality of Aguadas, located in the northern subregion of the department. Weaving iraca straw has been the most important artisanal activity practiced by both urban and rural groups in this town for a little over a century.
The standout product in Aguadas traditional crafts is the hat, but other items are also made, such as miniatures (dolls, hats, saddlebags, and espadrilles), sun hats, placemats, umbrellas, trays, belts, and bags. Another important product is the cover for glass containers, which a significant number of artisans dedicate themselves to.
The technique for making different objects is the same for all, with the difference lying in the type of stitch. Hats are made with three straws, while covers use two.
Atlántico: On the Colombian Atlantic coast, the municipality of Usiacurí stands out. Most of the town’s inhabitants are engaged in this activity. Various objects are made in this department, such as chests, wastebaskets, breadbaskets, etc.
Currently, 88% of the town’s families, who work in their homes, are involved in craftwork; 93% carry out all the stages of sack-making, which is their primary livelihood, while the remaining 7% focus exclusively on the spinning process.
Today, fique is an essential fiber in packaging production. Potatoes stay fresh, and coffee retains its aroma only when packed in this material.
It’s worth noting that in Aratoca, in the same department, sacks are also woven from fique, as in Curití. Approximately 50% of the population is engaged in this trade, with women spinning the fiber and men weaving on horizontal looms with two frames.
Currently, rugs, hats, espadrilles, blankets, sackcloth, fique bags, blankets, drapes, rugs, bedspreads, cotton, heeled shoes, cordobanes (leather shoes), t-shirts, cloths, and saddle straps, among others, are made using this weaving technique.
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