Sustainable Luxury, Craftsmanship and Vicuna Poncho
29
The chaku
1 was celebrated every 3 years to shear this sacred animal. It was a
meeting, a ceremony where vicuñas were captured, and sheared, as well as registered
in a census. The fibres obtained were for the Inca, while the meat of some specimens
was given to the communities. Since vicuñas have not been tamed, this ceremony still
takes place today, but only for shearing purposes, after which vicuñas are released
back to nature. In Argentina, this practice takes place in Laguna Blanca, province of
Catamarca, and in Santa Catalina, province of Salta, under controlled conditions so
that animals suffer the least possible.
The vicuña is an animal of the Camelidae family, native to the Latin American
region, especially the Andes. It is the smallest animal in this family, with an estimated
weight between 40 and 50 kilos. Just like the guanaco, it is a wild species. The vicuña
lives in the highlands, over 3000 m above sea level. At those heights, the soil must
offer two essential—though not simultaneous—conditions: on the one hand, it should
offer tender grass and, on the other, arid grounds. Vicuñas feed on the grass and they
play, turning over the arid soil. The resulting dust is essential to keep their hair loose
and fluffy.
Vicuñas are beige or light-brown, with reddish back, and white legs and belly.
Vicuña hair is made up of very fine fibres that grow very close together and protect
the animal from cold weather, rain and wind. With a diameter of less than 15 µm, its
hair is one of the finest fibres in the world. Vicuñas produce between 160 and 180 g
of fibre every two years [4, 20].
From pre-Hispanic times, the fibre of this animal has been highly valued, denoting
both grandeur and quality. The different shades offered by the hair of a single animal
are spun together, thus adding a very special characteristic to the yarn. Due to the
fineness of the fibre, several specimens are needed to get a finished product. Both
vicuña yarn and poncho production are handmade. In the artisans’ hands, this fibre
becomes a luxury fibre, since they are capable of turning hair into a fine, delicate
yarn. There are few, very knowledgeable artisans who work with this fibre because
it is hard to get, very expensive and, difficult to process based on its characteristics.
Spinning this fibre requires a high degree of technical expertise in both the processing
and characteristics of this material. Only the most gifted spinners, dyers and weavers
can do it.
2.3.1 The Vicuña Poncho: Overview
Vicuña ponchos came, particularly, from the provinces of Catamarca, Jujuy and Salta;
and even within these regions, there were ponchos woven with a mix of other fibres,
such as native and wild silk. Vicuña wool is regarded as one of the most exclusive
hair fibres. According to Geijer [12], animal species with the finest hair can be found
in the highest mountain regions worldwide. These are cashmere goats, angora goats
from Tibet and Pamir Mountains and the shy vicuña from the Andes. Nowadays,
vicuña fibre can be mainly found in Peru and, to a lesser extent, in Argentina.
1 Chaku: a rounding up, a way to hunt wild animals.
29
The chaku
1 was celebrated every 3 years to shear this sacred animal. It was a
meeting, a ceremony where vicuñas were captured, and sheared, as well as registered
in a census. The fibres obtained were for the Inca, while the meat of some specimens
was given to the communities. Since vicuñas have not been tamed, this ceremony still
takes place today, but only for shearing purposes, after which vicuñas are released
back to nature. In Argentina, this practice takes place in Laguna Blanca, province of
Catamarca, and in Santa Catalina, province of Salta, under controlled conditions so
that animals suffer the least possible.
The vicuña is an animal of the Camelidae family, native to the Latin American
region, especially the Andes. It is the smallest animal in this family, with an estimated
weight between 40 and 50 kilos. Just like the guanaco, it is a wild species. The vicuña
lives in the highlands, over 3000 m above sea level. At those heights, the soil must
offer two essential—though not simultaneous—conditions: on the one hand, it should
offer tender grass and, on the other, arid grounds. Vicuñas feed on the grass and they
play, turning over the arid soil. The resulting dust is essential to keep their hair loose
and fluffy.
Vicuñas are beige or light-brown, with reddish back, and white legs and belly.
Vicuña hair is made up of very fine fibres that grow very close together and protect
the animal from cold weather, rain and wind. With a diameter of less than 15 µm, its
hair is one of the finest fibres in the world. Vicuñas produce between 160 and 180 g
of fibre every two years [4, 20].
From pre-Hispanic times, the fibre of this animal has been highly valued, denoting
both grandeur and quality. The different shades offered by the hair of a single animal
are spun together, thus adding a very special characteristic to the yarn. Due to the
fineness of the fibre, several specimens are needed to get a finished product. Both
vicuña yarn and poncho production are handmade. In the artisans’ hands, this fibre
becomes a luxury fibre, since they are capable of turning hair into a fine, delicate
yarn. There are few, very knowledgeable artisans who work with this fibre because
it is hard to get, very expensive and, difficult to process based on its characteristics.
Spinning this fibre requires a high degree of technical expertise in both the processing
and characteristics of this material. Only the most gifted spinners, dyers and weavers
can do it.
2.3.1 The Vicuña Poncho: Overview
Vicuña ponchos came, particularly, from the provinces of Catamarca, Jujuy and Salta;
and even within these regions, there were ponchos woven with a mix of other fibres,
such as native and wild silk. Vicuña wool is regarded as one of the most exclusive
hair fibres. According to Geijer [12], animal species with the finest hair can be found
in the highest mountain regions worldwide. These are cashmere goats, angora goats
from Tibet and Pamir Mountains and the shy vicuña from the Andes. Nowadays,
vicuña fibre can be mainly found in Peru and, to a lesser extent, in Argentina.
1 Chaku: a rounding up, a way to hunt wild animals.