Unidos del Contento

Us Zenús usually involve our families, neighbors, and comrades to create networks in which we take maximum advantage of each artisan’s experience. These productive partnerships generate work in the community, promote the transmission of knowledge, and connect a large part of the reserve to the craftmanship. It is common for a finished product to have the work and knowledge of several persons in the community.


Networking

Unidos del Contento - Image

One of the Zenú’s greatest prides is that children learn to weave from a very young age. A particular custom exists to participate in “braid contests”: these are extremely important events where recognized regional artisans participate. It is well known that people from Contento typically take first price in pinta weaving, and for this, artisans from this community are recognized as experts in the matter. 

Weave and transmission

The Unidos del Contento Artisans Association is located in the Zenú indigenous reserve of San Andrés de Sotavento, specifically in the community of El Contento, department of Córdoba. It gathers four communities and 14 artisans from the area. 

We are all artisans by birth, heirs of our land’s ancestral knowledge, the turns of each hat, and weaving in caña flecha (a type of plant). Since 2013, we have come together to create our crafts, which we want recognized for their cultural value. The objective of our association is to improve the life of our community and that of our families; for this reason, our biggest commitment is to deliver quality products, and through them, share our most precious knowledge.

Artisans

Unidos del Contento

CultureZenú

Culture
Zenú