Techniques

The Mopa-Mopa resin is an autochthonous and typical handicraft technique from the city of Pasto in southern Colombia, which is mainly used today for decorating wooden objects. This technique is one of the few indigenous crafts from this region that still survives and forms an essential part of the economy and identity of its inhabitants.

This technique is known by two names in Colombia. Mopa-Mopa resin, named by the indigenous people in honor of the tree that produces this resin, or ‘Barniz de Pasto’ (Pasto Varnish) as the Spanish called it when they discovered it.

The resin is obtained from a shrub that grows in the Putumayo Department in the Colombian jungle. Twice a year, the plant produces a gelatinous paste that is transformed into a thin film through a traditional heating process.

The varnishing process occurs in several phases. First, the resin drops are collected, then cleaned of impurities, then cooked, stretched, and macerated until small and thin resin sheets are obtained. In the final phase, the sheets are cut into shapes and designs and placed on the object, where they are fixed by the heat of the craftsman’s hands. This last phase requires great precision and skill from the executor, as a mistake is almost impossible to correct, especially when multiple layers and colors are used.

2020 was the year we met Ximena Gonzales and her art. We immediately fell in love with her beautiful shiny and colorful jewelry made of soutache, and suddenly a new jewelry love was born and a new technique was discovered.

Soutache is actually an old technique used for covering seams in some garments in 18th century France. Over time, it was also used for decorative purposes, and for example, military uniforms were adorned with metallic glittering applications for centuries. These served as decoration, but also to indicate the rank of the wearer. However, soutache is not limited to Europe as such artistic fabric embellishments are found all over the world. Even today, soutache can be found on military uniforms, traditional costumes, religious objects, decorative elements, and since the 80s, high fashion has discovered these ribbons for jewelry.

But what exactly is soutache? Soutache is a narrow woven border also called passementerie – or simply a textile ribbon that can be made of wool, silk, artificial silk, or cotton. With a lot of patience, the necessary skill, and additional elements such as beads, someone like Ximena can create beautiful, extravagant, and unusual accessories that are also lightweight.

Bling bling, colorful, extravagant, and with history! This jewelry is as if made for our Colombian Style, and probably that’s why we’ve been enthusiastic about this technique from the beginning and can’t get enough of it. Convince yourself of the beauty, subtlety, and precision of Ximena and her jewelry in our assortment.

To learn more about the Iraca material, look in the Materials section. In this section, we will talk about the Iraca wire technique.
In the Colombian Caribbean lies Usiacuri, about 1 hour southwest of Barranquilla. A community of about 10,000 inhabitants who mainly live from tourism attracted by basketry, but also from agriculture and animal husbandry.
One might think that this material is abundant in the region. But nothing could be further from the truth, because although they have tried many times to germinate Iraca in this place, it is a fact that they have never succeeded and have always had to bring it from nearby departments. However, this was not an obstacle for the ‘Usiacurenos’ to adopt this weaving as their own, and although there is no specific symbolism, there is a community identity around this craft. This weaving has existed for several centuries, but its real opening and recognition only came slowly since the 1970s, with the 1990s being the peak.
No one can say exactly when Iraca invaded this area or how it came together with wire. But what is definitely clear is the manual ability of these people to take the bundle of Iraca, combine it with wire, and transform it into wonderful and colorful baskets that everyone falls in love with when they see them.