>> See Saraguro Necklaces Below
The Saraguro are an indigenous people and
they are the only native people that produce beadwork in
Ecuador. Because they live in a remote region of the Andean
highlands, their beadwork has developed with little outside
influence. Every woman beads, and wears a 5-6" deep collar
daily. It is common to see even very young girls with
collars.
In January 2003 I spent a week beading with 3 Saraguro women,
learning their techniques and designs and learning about their
culture. We worked on Tendido, Triangulos and Fresas designs.
No drawings or written materials are used and with language
barriers the experience was difficult for me. The stitches used
are done in a different way than I was used to. As an example, in
Saraguro netting, new beads are attached by going around
the thread from the previous row and back through one or
more beads to anchor the work. This technique is not unique
to Saraguro but in this country new beads are usually
anchored to previous rows by going through beads without
going around the thread. Brick stitch is similar but it
results in a tightly woven piece rather than
netting.
Since my trip I have taught 7 Saraguro designs in this
country. The Saragurans use Czech size 10 seed beads
primarily of opaque colors. For my class projects I
usually use Japanese beads with a variety of finishes
and the result is a less ethnic look. My necklaces are
also shorter, 1" to 2½" instead of 5' to 6".
A portion of my income from selling or teaching my
interpretations of Saraguro designs is donated to
Saraguran communities. In 2007 I was able to travel to
Saraguro again to research new designs and deepen my
relationship with some of the women. For more information
on Saraguran beadwork and culture see
www.saraguro.org.
2009 marked my fourth year that I have sponsored Saraguro bead workers to participate in the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, NM held in July each year. This event enabled them to earn money that has had a significant impact on their lives. For more information see www.folkartmarket.org.
