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Sombrero Vueltiao

Sombrero Voltiao (Colombian Spanish for twisted hat) is a traditional hat from Colombia and one of its symbols. It is made out of Gynerium sagittatum known locally as Caña Flecha a type of cane grown in the region. The word voltiao is a Spanish regional slang from the northern Caribbean Region and its area surrounding the Magdalena river basin meaning twisted in English and was given due to the way the hat is made; beginning from the top twisting and sewing in a vortex manner. The quality of the hat is determined by the number of "laps" used and its bending flexibility. The more flexible, the better the hat is.

The Colombian delegation to the 2004 Olympics wore the vueltiao during the opening ceremony. It is also traditionally worn by vallenato artists.

The process to produce a Sombrero Vueltiao isn't has easy as many people think. First you've have to obtain the caña flecha (Gynerium sagitatum), and extract the vein from the leaves of this plant using a knife and a piece of leather. After the vein has been extracted they're placed in the sun to dry until they change colors from green to a beige or white color. Later comes a classification to choose the veins that have dried white. The beige or "sucia" dirty ones, as they are called are placed in a black mud that doesn't contain any sand in it.

After about three or four days in the black mud, the veins are washed thoroughly with cold water and are placed in pot and boiled in water with "vija" another wild grown plant for a least a couple of hours. After which they are placed once again into the hot tropical Colombian sun for quite a while, then they are placed back in the black mud until they achieve a uniform black color.

After this lengthy process it's time to weave the caña flecha strips into braids that are used to form the sombrero (hat) this can take many days to do depending on the quality that is desired. Once achieved then commences the construction of the hat beginning with the part known as "olma" or (part at the top) which is the first ring of the hat. Later comes the crown of the hat followed by the wings of the hat. Once this artisan part is concluded, it's taken to a foot driven sewing machine and sewn all together.

The Quinciano: is the most commercial Sombrero Vueltiao produced and the most cheap. They can be produced in three days. These hats have a lose braid and only use fifteen (15) pairs of caña flecha strands to make the weave.

The Diecinueve: It's called this because it uses nineteen (19) pairs of caña flecha strands to produce a much finer braid that will produce a softer and much finer Sombrero Vueltiao. They can take up to a week to produce by hand.

The Veintiuno: This Sombrero Vueltiao uses twenty-one (21) pairs of caña flecha strands per weave and produces an extremely fine braid that makes this Sombrero Vueltiao a real work of art to own. These hats are usually custom made to order and can take up to 10 to 15 days to produce by hand.

The Veintitres: Like it's name says it uses twenty-three (23) pairs of caña flecha strands in their construction and like the Veinteuno Sombrero Vueltiao are very fine and notably softer to the touch and extremely light weight that you can barely feel them on your head when wearing them. They can take up to 12 to 20 days to make from scratch.

The Veintisiete: Is without a doubt the finest Sombrero Vueltiao of them all, it uses twenty-seven (27) pairs of caña flecha strands in the weave that produces these super fine hats and is so fine that you can fold them up and put them in your pocket without damaging them! Plus they also are very very soft with such a tight weave that if you hold them up to the sun you'll notice that the sunlight won't penetrate through the weave. The Best of the Best but also the most expensive to buy. They can take up a month to produce by hand.

US President Bill Clinton and daughter Chelsea during a visit to Cartagena, Colombia, where they were greeted by a Vallenato music children group.

The popularity of the Sombrero Vueltiaos, have with the passing of time, stopped being just a hat that was used by Colombian farmers and peasant to do their everyday choirs in the fields. To a hat, that today is so sought after, that they've practically out of the price range of these same local Colombian farmers.

These special handmade hats produced by Zenú indigenous tribes have turned into one of the most admired and appreciated works of art not only by Colombians but also by many people around the world.

Most of these handmade hats are produced by entire Zenú families located in the Departments of Cordoba and Sucre, who all, in one form or another, have some dedication in the elaboration of these fine hats.

This Culture Symbol of a Nation from the Departments of Córdoba and Sucre, have been worn and owned by hundreds of personalities like Pope John Paul II when he visited Colombia in 1986, to former President of the United States, Bill Clinton when he visited Cartagena, Colombia in August 2000.

• Government of the Cordoba Department, Colombia - Sombrero Vueltiao

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