These bags are exquisite. It takes 1 to 3 months to make one. The process is entirely by hand and made only from plant material. This is how they’re made:
There is a plant that is native to these mountains in the agave family. The women harvest the long leaves from this plant (without killing it) and pull out the long fibers from the leaves. Then they take these fibers and expose them to various treatments of soaking in water and drying in the sun. Then they pick leaves from other jungle plants and grind them to make dyes. They soak the fibers in the dyes. Then they weave the fibers into thread, after which they are ready to begin the artistic process of creating a new design. They choose a particular style of stitch and create a design that can be very ancient or their own adaptation of an ancient design.
The designs almost always have an association with an animal. Popular designs include, sea serpent, snake, butterfly, and woodpecker. The ladies say that when they are creating a bag with an animal theme, they can feel its spirit around them. There is traditional wisdom that if a woman is weaving a traditional bag (called “kra” in their language) with a snake design, she should not go to work in the field because she will attract the snake. They believe that the energy of the animal can be dangerous or powerful for healing and growth.
The material the bags are made of are totally unique. They are 100% organic, 0 carbon footprint, they last for 30 years even in the harsh conditions of life on those mountains. The bags are sewn in a very special way, such that there is no seam. The bag and the handle flow into each other like two seamless pieces.
The art of making the “kra” has been slowly dying in the last 15 years. This is because it is the most difficult of all the traditional crafts. The younger ones are choosing not to learn it. And why would they, if there is no incentive? But because of this project, the “kra” art is already beginning to regain its popularity.
June 18th, 2008 at 5:12 am
I am very amazed to read your article about the highly skilled professionals who made those beautiful bags. I have to admit that those bags can only be made by highly trained people who have such high contents to make such elaborate products. Your site will always be my favorite and I’d surely recommend your site to those traditional bags’ lovers