A Soul
Woven
by Hand.
Aratoca en Hilos is a window into the legacy of fique. Discover how this natural fibre becomes sustainable art through hands that keep our history alive.
“Heritage of the Penca
The Guane people, native to the canyons of Santander, were the first masters of this fibre. Their sacred knowledge of the earth's cycles let them draw out the strongest threads of all.
Aratoca keeps that pulse alive today. Fique is no longer just coffee sacking: it has been raised to an art form, blending natural dyes from leaves and bark with loom techniques that have survived for centuries.
The Ritual
The Six Phases of the Craft
Harvest
Mature leaves are cut and sorted by quality, leaving fifteen to twenty pencas in the crown so the plant lives on.
Extraction, or defibring
The fibre is separated from the pulp: by varillado, scraping the leaf against a fixed pole, or by mechanical defibring machine.
Washing and drying
The fibres soak for twelve to fifteen hours, are washed, then dried in the sun, which sets the characteristic cream colour.
Escarmenado and combing
The dried bundles are drawn through a nail comb that untangles, aligns and polishes the filaments.
Spinning
The fibre is twisted into thread. Its strength and its destination depend on the thickness and tension of the twist.
Finishing
The thread is woven on a loom, with a crochet hook or by machine: sacks, bags, table linen, rugs.
The Root
Collection
Functional pieces where contemporary design embraces pre-Columbian technique.
Bags and Satchels
HandmadeDecorative Tapestries
HandmadeTraditional Footwear
HandmadeStep inside the Fique Workshop.
Video archives, artisan diaries and natural dyeing tutorials in a free interactive experience.
Open the archive