University of Oviedo,
LaPonte Eco-Muséu, Espacio
Tormaleo, UriaXait
Les Regueres, Asturias, Spain
43°25’16.921” N, 5°58’24.082” W
Pillow Xalda Collection
Paz Mesa
2023
Wool
Wool processing from shearing to yarn, dyeing and weaving on a low heddle loom
40 cm length x 40 cm width
Paz Mesa had her first contact with textile crafts through her mother, who taught her how to spin the wool of her own flock of Xalda sheep; a task that she carried out together with her sisters. They later would give the wool already spun to a cousin who was a weaver, for her to make the garments. However, her work as a professional in the field began two years ago, after an eleven-year training period with different national and international artisans. She works mainly with wool, linen and silk: respectful, biodegradable fabrics, committed not only to the environment, but also to the well-being of animals and workers, as well as to the health of the customer. She tries to promote and disseminate more responsible forms of consumption, basing her brand on issues such as sustainability, ecology, territoriality and a circular, ethical and conscious economy.
A gallery of images of the exhibit item.
The reverse side of the Xalda Cushion is made with organic Asturian wool in the natural brown tones of the Xalda sheep itself, and the front in a mixture with a warp of the same characteristics, combined with a weft of Extremaduran merino sheep wool hand-dyed with natural dyes in the Paz Mesa artisanal textile workshop. The filling is made of Castilian merino wool with an organic cotton inner cover. The wool was spun in Cuenca in the Wooldreamers spinning mill, which allows small quantities of wool to be processed, facilitating the work of the artisans, and achieving different results as compared to manual processing, which Paz Mesa also practises in other pieces. These small spinning mills contribute to preserving native breeds, craftsmanship and the use of the available resources, since many times the wool is discarded because it cannot be processed as it does not reach the enormous quantities required. The fabric was made by hand on a traditional low heddle loom by the artisan. Although in this case the wool treatment is not carried out by Paz, the process begins with the shearing of the sheep itself and the selection of the fleeces. In the pieces in which the wool treatment is entirely carried out by the craftswoman, the next step is to clean the fleeces, fluff the wool or “escarmenar” in Asturian, carding, and spinning.
The colours and hues used are part of nature’s own palette with tones of the wool itself, from almost black to grey or, mostly and in this case, dark brown from the Xalda sheep. The process of dyeing is also done with natural elements such as plants from their own garden, discarded elements or collected in the environment, avoiding highly toxic chemicals, both for human and environmental health. This process is usually carried out on white wool, often from Merino sheep, since the wool of the Xalda breed is mostly dark in colour. Likewise, wool treatments such as super wash spreading with acids and synthetic resins that coat the surface of the fibre, altering its properties, are avoided.
“Cushion” may come from the Latin “coxa”, which means “hip”, and “pillow” from the Arabic “khadd”, which means cheek. Historically, it has been a piece with different uses: utilitarian for sitting or kneeling; ceremonials related to some religious practice; as an element of social distinction; or the purely aesthetic and decorative ones. Their use has been documented since Ancient Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt, where we find them in numerous tombs, although it is in the Middle Ages, appearing in inventories, where we find greater similarities with current cushions.
Their materials vary from the most archaic and rigid ones such as stone, wood or ceramic to softer fillings such as cereal husks and seeds, straw, paper, wood shavings, natural latex, wool, cotton, etc. Its outer part can be made with wool, linen, hemp, cotton, silk, leather, etc. With the Industrial Revolution, the use of this textile piece spread to the popular and/or lower classes, and in turn, the appearance of synthetic materials pushed natural materials into the corner and cushions began to be mass-produced, especially in petroleum derivatives such as polyester or rayon, along with synthetic fillings such as memory foam. The ornamental dimension became relevant, with interior decoration and ascribing to different decoration and textile trends. The piece we present aims to bring back the use of local materials, with minimal treatment. It combines functionality with a timeless, long-lasting aesthetic, in contrast to the overproduction of the textile industry that champions a volatile fashion. The mixture of different natural fibres gives it differences in terms of softness and its design, being able to link it with the traditional Asturian “half felt” or “full felt” quilts that often presented geometric motifs.
The use of wool in Asturias was closely linked to the peasants, since the wealthiest classes imported fine cloth from the Netherlands and Castile. This wool, along with flax and hemp, was produced by the peasants themselves. Within the entire process we can highlight spinning, an exclusively female job in the “filandón” (a neighbourhood meeting), combined with other activities such as agriculture or community contacts in which, among others, songs were sung, stories were told and danced, thus bringing together many types of assets. These practices were lost with the mechanisation of the processes, especially during the second half of the 19th century, at the same time that there was a new coming of other fabrics such as Catalan cotton, with a greater water impact, or fine wool from other breeds such as merinos. Nowadays, it is widely exploited unethically in other parts of the world, leaving Xalda wool relegated to the most mountainous areas of the region. Paz Mesa recovers the traditional practice with wool from her own herd from Xalda and from other livestock farmers in the area or from Merina, from organic livestock farms in Extremadura, avoiding the mulesing that is practised in a large part of the industry. Furthermore, the commitment to this type of native livestock farming contributes to the revitalization of the rural area, promoting the economy and helping to manage the rural landscape, another great cultural asset. This directly affects the territory in environmental, economic, social, and cultural terms. Adapted to the local fields and climatic conditions of Asturias, the small Xalda sheep, with a straight or sub concave cranial profile and bulging eyes, played a relevant role in the Asturian rural economy, obtaining wool and meat. It has adapted to mountainous fields and climatic conditions, which allows it to survive and reproduce in an environment where other breeds might have difficulties. Its presence is documented by classical authors such as Strabo, or, more recently, by notable figures such as Jovellanos in 1782. However, in recent decades, the breed has been in danger of extinction due to competition from other larger breeds and the rural depopulation and although it is currently in a better situation than 25 years ago, it is still in danger.
Although Paz Mesa is originally from Las Caldas, she moved and established her workshop in the village of Puerma (Les Regueres), in the central area of Asturias. Its economy has traditionally been based on agriculture and livestock, although in recent years it has experienced an increase in rural tourism thanks to its heritage with landscapes that include mountainous areas, Romanesque churches, and “Indiano’’ houses. Specifically, the Paz workshop is located in an ethnographic complex made up of the dwelling-workshop and three granaries, which were moved, recovered, and rehabilitated. One of them from the 16th century, with polychromes that were restored by the artisan herself, whose work was recognized with the “Lliñu” award in 2022. For this work, Paz created the paints herself with mineral pigments based on chemical composition tests, with the exception of elements such as white lead, which she replaced with zinc.
Author: Llara Fuente Corripio
References:
Asociación de Criadores de Oveja Xalda. “Xalda”. Accessed March 14th, 2024. https://www.xalda.com/
Feito, José Manuel. “La artesanía popular Asturiana”. In Enciclopedia de la Asturias Popular, Nº 21 y 22. La Voz de Asturias. Uviéu,
1996.
García Martínez, Adolfo. “La cultura tradicional, patrimonio de futuro”. In Antropología de Asturias, T. I. Oviedo, 2008.
González Mena, María Ángeles. “El almohadón o cojín como símbolo ritual de dignidad y jerarquía social”. Revista de
dialectología y tradiciones populares, 43, 317, 1988.
López Álvarez, Juaco y María Pía. and Timón Tiemblo. El llinu y la llana. La industria textil en la sociedad tradicional
asturiana. Muséu Etnográficu del Pueblu d‘Asturies, Xixón, 1993.
Morís Menéndez, Gonzalo. “La Lana y el Lino”. Enciclopedia de la Asturias Popular, V. I, La Voz de Asturias, Uviéu, 1994.
Paz Mesa. Accessed March 14th, 2024. https://pazmesa.art/
To learn more about this initiative or artisan:
https://pazmesa.art/
https://www.instagram.com/pazmesa.art/
https://www.facebook.com/paz.gonzalezmesa