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Shigra bags: A colorful craft which carries tradition

New, Hemp, hand knotted, this sturdy, functional art to use, bag will serve you well. 13 x 13". Tie as you wish straps. Original design inspired by ancient Aztec symbols and Incan roots, by family artisans. Each design is as unique as the artisan who created it. Aesthetically pleasing, Beautiful rich colors.
Beautifully handwoven Shigras from Ecuador.
Made by indigenous indian people of Cotopaxi province which is south of Quito.
Shigras are made with “Cabuya” a fiber from the Agave plant. Much tougher than wool, cabuya is a very tedious material to knit, but the end-product is a true work of art.
The shigras are bags woven with Cabuya, which is the local name for hemp fibre. After boiling the fibre, it is dyed with natural colors obtained from the bark, leaves and seeds of different plants and trees, and finally dried. Once it’s been completely dried, the fibre is separated into threads to be weaved. These bags were originally used to store dried food and they were very simple. However, once the community started to commercialize them they began to make them with very colorful and attractive designs.
Hemp is one of the most durable natural fibres that exists and has very high tensile strength. Hemp softens with use and yet remains hard-wearing. Hemp fabrics dye very effectively and retain colour well over time. Hemp fibres “breathe,” due the porous nature of the fibres, while being 5 times as strong as cotton; coupled with its strong anti-fungal and antibacterial properties, this makes the fabric a natural choice. Hemp has good resistance to mold and is fire-retardant. Hemp is good for the environment.
The Andean artisans are known for their skills as expert weavers... even before the Inca conquest, using simple looms to produce their own clothes. Many Andean regions have proudly maintained their culture and their tradition of weaving for centuries in the highlands of Ecuador -- most remarkable for never having, in the face of so much potential influence, renounced their traditions and costume....and so, also, do they continue to define the art of creating woven goods as functional as they are beautiful.

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