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Vivere la campagna
The art of weaving is the most traditional activity performed by Sardinian women.
Besides its practical purposes, the production was aimed at embellishing the house. Among the fabrics produced are carpets, i.e. the leading products of Sardinian craftsmanship, chest carpets, blankets, napkins, tapestries, traditional blankets (‘fanugas’ or ‘burras’) and furniture textiles.
Traditional weaves are worked with techniques called a pibiones (shaped as grapes), ‘flat’, or ‘a un indente’, with geometric, faunal and floral patterns, or heraldic and emblematic symbols. Another technique used in tapestry weaving is called a punta de agu, allowing to create an embroidery woven together with the bottom cloth.
Sardinian sheep’s wool has always supplied the raw material for textile manufacturing. The working equipment was the loom, either vertical or horizontal - this latter being more widespread, mostly in Campidano. Every house used to have a loom for young women to weave their dowry and all that was needed in a home; techniques and patterns were handed down in time.
Now the art of weaving employs modern techniques, while still using ancient working methods, from wool treatment to loom work.