Tejedores y tejidos en los Andes del sur de Colombia, siglo XIX

This book tells us how in the nineteenth century, in the current department of Nariño, weavers played a fundamental role in rural and urban societies, in part, because they produced pieces of various qualities for all economic sectors. This textile tradition dates back to pre-Hispanic times, when various groups of the highlands wove fine fabrics of cotton or llama hair, supported by complex techniques: they were pieces dyed with indelible vegetable and mineral dyes. Some of that knowledge endured in the Colony and the nascent Republican state. Weaving was rooted in the regional culture of Pasto, in its surroundings and in various towns of the highlands of Túquerres and Ipiales, and, although it was a mainly feminine work, there was a love for the trade that united the members of the families. And to this was added a successful transmission of knowledge through oral communication. The reputation of the "Clothes of Pasto" and its use spread through Santafé de Bogotá, Medellín, Popayán and Barbacoas, among other places, whose inhabitants preferred these garments, for their resistance, variety of colors and wide range of qualities. From the material culture and the history of the trades, this book aims to highlight the value of weaving, developed in this part of the Colombian territory in the nineteenth century. Throughout the three chapters of this work, the reader will be able to recognize the rigor and depth of the research presented here. In these pages, Rosa Isabel Zarama delves into the life of weavers and fabrics, unravels the textile process and what was the daily life of urban and rural weavers, explains the circumstances in which they learned their trade, where they obtained the raw materials, how they made the garments, the techniques to prepare dyes, the clothes they wore and the colors they wore at the time, among other matters.