HAND WOVEN BY THE WOMEN OF GUAPI
The “Cuatro Tetas” baskets (literally translating “four breasts”) are made in Guapi, Cauca by members of the Eperaara Siapidaara community, who originally lived in the Chocó region but migrated to Guapi due to many factors, including increasing violence within the country. Weaving baskets is a craft that has been passed down through generations, they were traditionally used to store for food and household items as well as to prepare meals. Recently however their baskets have also become their most important source of income. Typically it is the women who weave, and the men who trek up to three hours into the forest to harvest the materials. The plants are then carried back and left to dry for three days before the women can begin weaving. Each basket takes around 8 to 10 days to weave by hand with patterns and figures inspired by the world around them, such as constellations, jaguar spots, snakes, spiders, the ant’s trail, and frogs.