Los nombres de los diseños de los bolsos enlazados de los wichís (Chaco centro-occidental): Una hipótesis de trabajo

RODRIGO M. MONTANI

Revista de la Escuela de Antropología

Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Facultad de Humanidades y Artes, Escuela de Antropología

Lugar: Rosario; Año: 2007 vol. XIII p. 51 - 64

Wichi women weave string-bags (called ‘yicas’ in the regional creole Spanish) with different raw materials, with many kinds of loops, a variety of forms, and a wide range of patterns. These bags are used in a huge sort of traditional activities and are sold to ‘Whites’. From the begining of 20th century, it is known that pictures woven on the bags are not randomly designed but follow formal patterns, which have complex names in the native language. Nevertheless, few studies have tried to describe and interpretate the names of the patterns, because of many difficulties found, which the linguistic obstacle has prove to be a major one. The goals of this work are: a) to enlarge, from first-hand material, the existing description of names of string-bags; b) to offer a short discussion about the relationship between form and name of design; c) to make a review of other researchers’ interpretations of the subject, and propose a structural hypotesis that would explain the maening of the names of the patterns. materials, with many kinds of loops, a variety of forms, and a wide range of patterns. These bags are used in a huge sort of traditional activities and are sold to ‘Whites’. From the begining of 20th century, it is known that pictures woven on the bags are not randomly designed but follow formal patterns, which have complex names in the native language. Nevertheless, few studies have tried to describe and interpretate the names of the patterns, because of many difficulties found, which the linguistic obstacle has prove to be a major one. The goals of this work are: a) to enlarge, from first-hand material, the existing description of names of string-bags; b) to offer a short discussion about the relationship between form and name of design; c) to make a review of other researchers’ interpretations of the subject, and propose a structural hypotesis that would explain the maening of the names of the patterns. materials, with many kinds of loops, a variety of forms, and a wide range of patterns. These bags are used in a huge sort of traditional activities and are sold to ‘Whites’. From the begining of 20th century, it is known that pictures woven on the bags are not randomly designed but follow formal patterns, which have complex names in the native language. Nevertheless, few studies have tried to describe and interpretate the names of the patterns, because of many difficulties found, which the linguistic obstacle has prove to be a major one. The goals of this work are: a) to enlarge, from first-hand material, the existing description of names of string-bags; b) to offer a short discussion about the relationship between form and name of design; c) to make a review of other researchers’ interpretations of the subject, and propose a structural hypotesis that would explain the maening of the names of the patterns. materials, with many kinds of loops, a variety of forms, and a wide range of patterns. These bags are used in a huge sort of traditional activities and are sold to ‘Whites’. From the begining of 20th century, it is known that pictures woven on the bags are not randomly designed but follow formal patterns, which have complex names in the native language. Nevertheless, few studies have tried to describe and interpretate the names of the patterns, because of many difficulties found, which the linguistic obstacle has prove to be a major one. The goals of this work are: a) to enlarge, from first-hand material, the existing description of names of string-bags; b) to offer a short discussion about the relationship between form and name of design; c) to make a review of other researchers’ interpretations of the subject, and propose a structural hypotesis that would explain the maening of the names of the patterns. materials, with many kinds of loops, a variety of forms, and a wide range of patterns. These bags are used in a huge sort of traditional activities and are sold to ‘Whites’. From the begining of 20th century, it is known that pictures woven on the bags are not randomly designed but follow formal patterns, which have complex names in the native language. Nevertheless, few studies have tried to describe and interpretate the names of the patterns, because of many difficulties found, which the linguistic obstacle has prove to be a major one. The goals of this work are: a) to enlarge, from first-hand material, the existing description of names of string-bags; b) to offer a short discussion about the relationship between form and name of design; c) to make a review of other researchers’ interpretations of the subject, and propose a structural hypotesis that would explain the maening of the names of the patterns. Key words: textil art, Wichi people, pattern, ethnography of the Gran Chaco.: textil art, Wichi people, pattern, ethnography of the Gran Chaco.