A Few Facts about the Weaving in Amazonia

A textile craft that combines a couple of distinct yarns of threads in an interlaced form, weaving is one of the oldest arts and crafts that human being had mastered. It would be interesting to learn about weaving in Amazonia, one of the places of origin of the craft.

Weaving Patterns

Weaving follows a specific pattern.
Threads that run lengthwise in the weaving are called wraps.
Threads running breadth-wise are called weft or fillings.
Cloth is usually woven on looms which is a device that holds the wraps of threads in place. Simultaneously the weft is woven through them.

Weaving in Amazonia

Weaving took a different dimension in Amazonia.
Densely woven mosquito netting and tents were manufactured from the palm-bast.
These nets and tents were initially utilized by the Panoans, Tupi, Yameo, Western Tucano, Zaparoans and also by other indigenous people in Central Hullaga river basins.
Materials that were used besides the palm-bast were swamp palms as well as the frond spears in the Chambira palm, cumare, and tucum that have been used for centuries for the weaving in Amazonia.
Articles manufactured included cordage, hammocks made of net bags, and fabrics.

Other Important Facts

Other important facts about weaving in Amazonia are that the weaving of fabric and other goods in Amazonia was imbued with varying degrees of aesthetics. An interesting feature was the impact on the women who were more involved in the practice of weaving in form of social reproductions. On the one hand it was a major source of exchange of labor and enterprise and on the other hand the circulation of palm-fiber derived wealth had a great stabilizing effect on the social relationships that range from marriage as well as fictive kinship and spiritual to the relationship with the deceased.

The art of weaving is almost as old as that of the initial development of civilization in human society. However, there still remain a few stalwarts of the past who had been instrumental in creating some extraordinary materials like the famous musleen in the far and middle east and materials that were created by weaving in Amazonia.