Overkill53 · CC BY-SA 4.0Sixty-stripe poncho
Poncho para'i
A hand-woven cotton poncho with ultra-fine stripes from Piribebuy, on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list since 2023.
What it is
The poncho para'i de 60 listas has three parts — body, stripes and border or fringe — and each uses a different kind of cotton thread. It is woven on a loom with wooden paddles and frames that the artisans make themselves, and the work is shared among weavers who specialize in each stage. It is the emblem of Piribebuy and a formal garment in Paraguayan folk culture.
History
The techniques were handed down orally from mother to daughter, through watching and practice. In 2023 UNESCO added them to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, because the master weavers are elderly, incomes are low and few young people are taking up the craft.
Did you know…?
The Sixty-Stripe Poncho Safeguarding School has operated since 2019 in the home of master weaver Rosa Segovia, recognized as a Living National Treasure; there you can watch backstrap-loom weaving and the making of the fringes. In March 2026 the Interpretation Centre of the Poncho Para'i de 60 Listas opened in Piribebuy's Historical Museum, a space to learn about the history and technique of this garment; check opening hours before you go.
Where to buy
In Piribebuy, about 72 km from Asunción: at the Sixty-Stripe Poncho Safeguarding School (on the IPA's National Crafts Route, visits by appointment) and from local artisans. Given the amount of handwork, it is an expensive piece: be wary of very cheap '60-stripe' ponchos.