DistantNews
Support us
Ecuadorian Artisans Fight to Save Fading Horsehair Sieve Craft
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia /Culture & Society

Ecuadorian Artisans Fight to Save Fading Horsehair Sieve Craft

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Ecuadorian artisans are struggling to preserve the traditional craft of weaving horsehair strainers, known as "cedazos."
  • Only nine artisans, with the youngest being 51 and the oldest 76, remain in the village of Guangopolo, which was once famous for this craft.
  • The decline is attributed to the emergence of cheaper plastic alternatives and shifts in agricultural practices affecting the availability of traditional materials.

In the quiet village of Guangopolo, east of Ecuador's capital, Ligia Ipiales, 76, meticulously separates strands of horsehair. Her delicate work forms the fine mesh of a "cedazo," a traditional sieve that is now a symbol of a fading craft. This unique artistry, once the hallmark of Guangopolo, is on the brink of disappearing, with only nine artisans remaining.

This is our village’s identity. If it disappears, Guangopolo loses a part of who it is.

— Guido PaucarAn artisan lamenting the potential loss of the traditional craft.

Guido Paucar, 51, the sole man among the remaining weavers, laments the potential loss. "This is our village’s identity. If it disappears, Guangopolo loses a part of who it is," he stated. Paucar, who is among the last generation practicing this skill, recalled that half a century ago, approximately 500 Indigenous families thrived by making and selling these sieves, producing up to 600 units monthly. However, the advent of inexpensive plastic sieves and synthetic fabrics relegated the traditional craft to decorative pieces, diminishing its everyday utility.

We are the last generation making these sieves.

— Guido PaucarExpressing the critical state of the traditional craft.

"Now we only sell up to 10 each week," Paucar added. The tradition, documented in local records as being practiced by 1,500 Guangopolo residents for 200 years, involves crafting each sieve with a thin, 15-centimeter wooden rim securing the horsetail fabric. These tools were once essential in Ecuadorian kitchens, primarily for sifting flour. Industrialization and environmental changes have complicated sourcing the necessary horsehair and the native Pumamaqui tree wood, forcing artisans to find materials from southern Colombia and central Ecuador at a significant cost of around $1,000 per 100 pounds.

Now we only sell up to 10 each week.

— Guido PaucarHighlighting the significant drop in sales compared to the past.

Despite efforts at the El Cedacero craft center to train younger generations through workshops, the initiative has yielded limited success. Leonor Cuje, 57, explained, "From the age of 6 or 7 our mothers taught us how to weave sieves." She noted with a touch of resignation, "Now they are professionals and they don’t want to do this anymore." The craft, which once provided women with supplementary income and funded their children's education, now faces an uncertain future as the younger generation seeks different paths.

From the age of 6 or 7 our mothers taught us how to weave sieves. Now they are professionals and they don’t want to do this anymore.

— Leonor CujeDescribing the generational gap and lack of interest from younger people.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog