PARAGUAYAN
CRAFTWORK

In the XIX Century, José Gaspard Rodriguez de Francia, dictator of Paraguay, closed the country's borders. His policy was self-sufficience. Nothing was allowed to enter the country.

The women began to create their own cotton thread, weave their own cotton cloth, and then embroider and embellish it.

They created beautiful designs and a tecnique that is known as Ao Po'i. Ao Po'i means, in the Guarani language, 'fine knitting'.

It still alive and well today in the home of Ao Po'i: Yatiaty del Guairá, Paraguay, and the surrounding countryside, where most of the families dedicate their time to keeping the tradition alive.

Natural and died cotton thread is woven by hand The cotton is cleaned and converted into thread, which is then placed on the loom. This process takes up to a day to complete.

Then, a porous, light cloth perfect for the hot Paraguayan summer is woven.

In this video, Ña Digna, a 90-year-old artisan, shows us how it's done. Around two meters of material can be woven per day using this system.

Each stitch and pattern in the Ao Po'i style has it's own name in the Guarani language, which is one of two languages spoken in Paraguay.

For example, 'ju'i rupi'a' means 'frog's eggs', and is a stitch of several small dots in one group. Another stitch, 'tatu pire', means armadillo shell. Yet another is called 'margarita poty', which means 'daisy'.

There are infinte beautiful combinations of designs, and each piece is unique and ALWAYS hand embroidered.

The cloth is now hand embroidered with the traditional designs mentioned above, to decorate shirts, dresses, ties, etc.

A young woman shows us how she embroiders a black and gold tie.

Normally, in one day, two ties can be embroidered.

Ao Po'i cloth, which is called 'Pilar', has to be starched in order for it to retain its shape.

After weaving, it is placed in both hot and cold baths, along with yucca starch, then left to dry out in the sun.

This leaves the cloth stable and the weave strong.

Here at Ao Porã, we use the traditional methods with modern design.

We know your goal is to look dapper. And our goal is to share the beauty of the traditional craftwork of Paraguay, while supporting our local artisans.

So, when you buy from us, not only will you LOOK good, but you can FEEL good, too.

Ao Po'i clothing is used as formal wear by teachers, bankers, and students.

Traditional Ao Po'i articles have to be hand washed and left to dry in the sun, then ironed.

Today, many times Ao Po'i embroidery is applied to machine washable fabrics.

Each item, after embroidery, is cut, marked, and sewn by hand.

Table cloths, shirts, dresses, ties, and many other items are created by very experienced seamstresses.