The dyes are extracted from the bark and fruit of certain trees, plants and herbs the colours of which are indelible, for example: the anil, a leguminous plant from which the colour blue (indigo) is obtained;leaves from the 'chilca' produce a yellow dye; the 'grana' or cohineal produces a red dye; the chanar a coffee colour and the 'piquillin', a shrub that produces a brown dye. In these ponchos one can observe the results of two decorative procedures by dying; the IKAT and the PLANGUI.
IKAT
These consist in the negative dyeing of the thread of the warp before weaving,
once the poncho is warped (verticle threads), the parts of these threads
that are not to be dyed are tied tightly using vegetable or cloth ties
which are sometimes greased. The tie is made taking into consideration
the form of the decorative designs, then the threads are submerged in the
dye, they are then withdrawn and left to dry before being placed once again
in the loom. The concealed parts are united when needed for
the fabric.
PLANGUI
Is the negative dye technique for fabrics in which tying and stitching
(tying method) are carried out previously. The Mapuche method
consits in lifting up some of the parts to be dyed (as if pinching it)
and tying tightly with thread of rags the base of the
raised parts.
After dyeing, when the ties are undone, the dyed parts are manifest as
an irregular ring without dye.
