Yataity

Ao po'i means fine cloth in Guarani, and it is the embroidery tradition of Yataity: cotton worked with drawn-thread and openwork techniques and then embroidered in geometric and floral patterns, historically in white on white and now in colours as well, used above all for the men's shirt that is the national dress garment and worn at formal occasions across Paraguay. The work is done by women in the village, by hand, and a single shirt takes weeks. Workshops and cooperatives receive visitors, show the drawing of threads and the stitching, and sell finished pieces at prices far below what the same shirts cost in Asuncion. The village holds an ao po'i festival each year.

History

The founding of Yataity is attributed to Captain Bartolomé Oviedo, who bought the property in 1809. More than half its people work at making cloth, which has made the district known as the capital of ao po'i (Wikipedia, Yataity).

What to look for

• Ao po'i embroidery - the drawn-thread and openwork stitching.
• The workshops - the women working in the village houses and cooperatives.
• Finished shirts - the pieces sold at source.
• The annual festival - the ao po'i celebration in the village.

When to go

April to October in the cooler months; weekdays are when the workshops are working. The ao po'i festival falls in the middle of the year and brings the village together.

Before you go

The work is domestic and visits mean approaching households or cooperatives, best arranged rather than unannounced. Prices for genuine hand work are not low. Machine-made imitations are sold elsewhere as ao po'i. The village is small.

Nearby

Villarrica lies south; Colonia Independencia is east.