In Wounmeu, the language of the Wounaan, there is a special name for fine traditional coil-construction palm-fiber baskets: hösig di. Expert weavers stitch silk-fine strands of the black palm they call chunga or werregue, richly colored with vegetal dyes, over coils of naguala palm.
The newest, softest green palm fronds are shredded by hand, extracting the internal fibers as thin as thread. After drying in the sun, these fibers are dyed in mixtures created using roots, berries and seed pods, all-naturally sourced vegetal colors.
Werregue is so closely linked to Wounaan tradition and daily life that, when it comes to the creation of Hösig Di (the Wounmeu term for their fine baskets), each basket is believed to begin with an inherent spiritual quality. Further to this point, the women who weave them are often called “spirit weavers”. Learn more about how Rainforest Baskets art is created.