Resumo

TELLERIA, Nelson  e  CONDE, Carmen. ABORIGINE BASKETRY IN VENEZUELA’S HANDCRAFT CULTURE. Investigación y Postgrado [online]. 2004, vol.19, n.2, pp.213-228. ISSN 1316-0087.

Venezuelan popular handcrafts are heavily influenced by local aboriginal culture that can be seen in basketry, weaving and pottery. The cultural heritage is manifested in the production of popular artisans across the country. The objective of this particular research was to compile the various aborigine basketries commonly used in the different regions of the country. It is a descriptive research encompassing both documentation and field phases. The latter included a non structured, open interview to a sample of 55 artisans and 20 informants in 9 states. It also included expert opinions and bibliography on the taxonomy of the plants used to obtain the fibers. Graphics and tables were done. Results showed that popular basketry in Venezuela has its roots in aboriginal basketry and it stands out for being utilitarian. One of the best known is the "catumare", a loading basket and another one, the "manare" that is use to prepare casabe. The techniques and raw material follow certain pattern with some variations that depends on the cultural group and region. We believe that here is a necessity to study Ethno botanical to understand the plants that provide the fiber that are used in basketry and look for their preservation, also promoting popular handcrafts workshops to keep our cultural values for future generations.

Palavras-chave : aboriginal handcrafts; aboriginal basketry; ethnography; aboriginal cultures; popular culture; ethno botanic.