Bolsos clisá y tejidos de caraguatá nivaclé
Bags and weavings of caraguatá fibre made by Nivaclé women, a skill handed from grandmothers to daughters.
What it is
Nivaclé women make thread from caraguatá fibre, a Chaco bromeliad, and weave bags called clisá in varied designs, along with necklaces and accessories. From childhood girls learn to clean the fibre, prepare the thread and weave by watching and living with elders. Today they add glass beads without losing their own designs. This entry complements the one on Chaco caraguatá and palo santo, focusing on the Nivaclé people.
History
A collective of about 95 Nivaclé women organised around 2000 to gain visibility and market access; after the pandemic 54 remained active. The Secretaría Nacional de Cultura recognised the Uj'e Lhavos community of Filadelfia for the dances and songs of Nivaclé women, with an intangible heritage declaration and a National Living Treasure distinction, granted in September 2024 (resolutions 628 and 629 of 2024).
Did you know…?
One artisan puts it this way: 'we are seeds of those who have gone before'; that is why seed necklaces carry so much symbolic weight.
Where to buy
At Instituto Paraguayo de Artesanía fairs in Asunción (the Feria Ore brings together artisans of ten Indigenous peoples, including the Nivaclé) and through the communities' women's organisations. Pay the price asked and ask about the weaver.