Colonial coins and the sparkling pride of the Mapuche people

Unusual jewelry sometimes flares up like a comet. As it turns out, behind ethnic ornaments does not always have to be a long tradition, the origins of which fade into the thick darkness of history. It also happens that intriguing, original ornaments suddenly appear and disappear. What remains of the most unusual ones are unique specimens tightly locked in museum halls and memory!

Shrouded in black is a female figure. A black kepam - tightly, somewhat like a tunic covering her entire body, on her back a black cloak called here ukulla, to which piercingly shimmering silver ornaments. Silver is a lunar symbol associated with the moon, darkness and femininity. The intriguing ornaments of the Mapuche people are sometimes said to be tears of the moon or moon wafers. The picturesque comparison fits like a glove. Women clad in traditional costumes and glittering metal jewels evoke a night sky dotted with sparkling stars.

The Mapuche, also known as the Arucans, are one of the Indian tribes inhabiting the mountainous Andean terrain of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina. Already centuries ago, they clung to the patch of zealous, fierce warriors. No wonder, since they have almost always had to fight for their own, for their ancestral lands and for their own independent existence. First they struggled against the Inca empire, then against the Spanish conquistadors and their colony, the Viceroyalty of Peru. The first royal governor of Chile - Pedro de Valpia - learned Mapuche prowess the hard way. Valpia, while continuing his conquests, unexpectedly encountered a fierce defense put up by local Indians in the village of Tucapel. The conquistador was captured, and a legendary Mapuche chief named Lautaro tied him up before impaling the wretch and, in an effort to quench his insatiable thirst, watered him with molten gold.

In the days before the Spanish invasion, the Aruscans practically did not deal in metal processing, let alone jewelry making. It was only later, when attacking Spanish outposts, that in addition to abducted cattle and horses they began to acquire silver coins, liturgical objects or tableware. This unusual loot had to be dealt with somehow. Local craftsmen by trial and error eventually discovered how to transform these trophies into something more useful. This is how the first ornaments began to be created, which fell to the chiefs' wives.

The jewelry produced by Mapuche is not the fine ornamentation and elaborate designs that came out of the hands of true masters of the goldsmith's trade. It is the simplicity and almost ascetic appearance that captivates most in these ethnic ornaments. Sizable thin disks and rectangles plus chains - that's basically the basis that, in various combinations, makes up the gems here. Brilliance and sound are also an important matter! The former is the sunny rays that play endearingly on the large silver surfaces, while the latter is the gentle buzzing and ringing that these ornaments make with almost every movement. Anyway, this is not only music pleasant to the ears, but also makes unkind spirits on guard.

Men used silver ornaments infrequently, mainly to beautify their horses, a custom, truly Arabic, borrowed from the Spanish visitors. Women mostly put on their treasures on special occasions, for all kinds of holidays or trips to the city with undisguised pride. Large earrings - chaguai, trailonco - composed of small plates, like a chain of coins encircling the head, or tupu - a pin ending in a disk, which, like a button, usually on the shoulder, could be fastened to the fabric surrounding the body. It was these chic ornaments that made Mapuche women feel festive and safe. Silver trinkets, both women's and horse's, were also a staple of wedding garments and dowries. So they were definitely to valuables indicative of wealth and prestige.

The heyday of the jewelry trade among the Mapuche people was actually the 18th and 19th centuries, or just two centuries. For a folk tradition, that's not much. At the beginning of the 20th century, Chilean coins began to disappear, and the Mapuche people themselves began to disappear as well. Successively, more native lands were taken from them, forcing them to emigrate or live on reservations. Many, in search of a source of income, moved to the cities. Others, though still in rural areas, replaced the ancient customs of their ancestors with innovations more adapted to modern times over time. Retrafes - Arukan goldsmiths are almost gone. They have survived here and there, those who produce old ornaments for visitors thirsty for original silver souvenirs. However, this is no longer the same. The former works of the Mapuche people survive in museums, private collections and in some of the villages around Temuco. There you can still see Mapuche women, those clad in dark clothing and proudly sparkling jewelry.