Esparto grass is known for its use in papermaking. Most craft tools and artifacts in the southern Spanish countryside for farming and livestock were made with esparto, such as harvesting baskets, items for the home, and containers/sacks for carts, horses, and donkeys. The main techniques are: All techniques involve working with an odd number of strands, from 5 to 31 or more. Sound esparto has a characteristic yellow colour. The stems are cylindrical and grow in clusters up to 3 metres (10 feet) in circumference. Esparto, halfah grass, or esparto grass is a fiber produced from two species of perennial grasses of north Africa and southern Europe. The young plants serve as forage but become too tough for livestock after a few years of growth. The Spanish name for the plant is "atocha"; a pre-Roman word. Find products you are looking for by Besides, it has a wide network across India to coordinate opulent corporate events, pompous TV shows, mega stage shows etc. Esparto, or esparto grass, also known as alpha/alfa grass" or "needle grass", is a perennial grass grown in northwest Africa and the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula employed for crafts (cords, baskets, espadrilles, etc.). In the finest pieces, all leaves used must be the same size and diameter, and must always be joined in parallel. Another important use of esparto is in rope-making. From Cargo Handbook - the world's largest cargo transport guidelines website, https://www.cargohandbook.com/index.php?title=Esparto&oldid=11850. Expertise is formed into Esparto. Esparto, halfah grass, or esparto grass is a fiber produced from two species of perennial grasses of north Africa and southern Europe. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The "Spanish" grade is usually regarded as the higher-quality, while the "Tripoli" grade, from Africa, is the lesser in quality. Esparto leaves are traditionally harvested with a stick; usually of wood or iron, but in ancient times, of bone. Stipa tenacissima (Macrochloa tenacissima) produces the better and stronger esparto. For example, a "cesto rosero" is a basket used traditionally to gather saffron flowers. Consumption rose steadily until the mid-1950s but since has steadily declined.…, esparto, bamboo, flax, hemp, jute, and kenaf. Some manufacturers of rolling paper may use esparto, which might lead to a slightly higher carcinogen level when burned. Every kind of plait has a different name. Stipa tenacissima and Lygeum spartum are the species used to produce esparto. Because of the short fiber length, the tensile strength of the paper is less than that of many other papers, but its resistance to shrinkage and stretching is superior, and the paper is a well-filled, dense paper with excellent inking qualities. Traces of damage to esparto are revealed by carefully unrolling the leaf and presenting it flat. Mainly, this vocabulary belongs to the Castilian and Catalan dialect of Valencia. May turn black with wetting or prolonged stacking and be unsuitable to be treated in paper mills, but if the solidity of the fibre is unaffected, has no marked influence upon its value in the textile industry. Dass es sich hierbei um die korrekte Lösung handelt, ist sehr sicher. Look up Esparto in the PONS online German spelling dictionary! This material is known as "crushed esparto", which is stronger and easier to weave. This article was most recently revised and updated by. Esparto fibre has great strength and flexibility, and both species have for centuries been used for making ropes, sandals, baskets, mats and other durable articles. Esparto is a strong grass fibre which, when dry, coils itself into the shape of a cylindrical rod. Instead, the leaves are left to dry in the sun until they turn yellowish. There are many complementary techniques to end the baskets, square braids, cord edging, crown sinnet, points, etc. It is also used for fibre production for paper making. First used in Great Britain in 1850, it has been extensively used there and in Europe, but is rarely found in the United States because of the cost of transport. 3 months. (1995) by Gavin McQuarrie, University of Durham, England, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Esparto&oldid=982960244, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2015, Articles with Spanish-language sources (es), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Yes, the enormous experience of its directors finally resulted into the formation of Esparto Events which has prime focus on Fashion Events and Beauty Pageants. The artifact is made by sewing this strip in different ways. Includes dictionary, usage examples, pronunciation function and additional vocabulary feature. When an Esparto grass boat was in at Granton, my dad would be first in the queue every morning – about 5.30 am for an 8.00 am start. Most paper made from esparto is usually combined with 5% to 10% wood pulp. Stipa tenacissima and Lygeum spartum are the species used to produce esparto. The old leaves, which are under the plant, were used to make the traditional torches of southern Spain, named "hachos". Corrections? Announcing our NEW encyclopedia for Kids! Packed in bales and used in the manufacture of paper and textiles. It is endemic to the Western Mediterranean (growing in Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya). There is a huge variety of items, many of which are well known and have a specific use, but others are the product of a special personal need or a free creation, such as toys for children or animals. The Esparto grass came from Egypt and North Africa, and was used by the paper mills to make high-quality book paper – which Edinburgh was renowned for." An alternative is to soak the leaves in water for about a month, before drying and then crushing them. Some manufacturers of rolling paper may use esparto, which might lead to a slightly higher carcinogen level when burned.[3]. It is used for crafts, such as cords, basketry, and espadrilles. Die Frage wurde in den letzten Tagen bereits 361 Mal gesucht. Deesparto, página online artículos de esparto (Macrochloa tenacissima) para gente con gusto a lo tradicional. [1] This species grows forming a steppic landscape - esparto grasslands - which covers large parts of Spain and Algeria. This collection is now in the National Archaeological Museum of Spain. Prone to odours which will lessen value. The fibre makes a high quality paper often used in book manufacturing. Consult the IMO Code for overseas transport (IMO Class 4 – Flammable). The esparto is not normally used immediately after harvesting. The plant grows in rocky soil on the high plains and can spread vegetatively by its scaly rhizomes (underground stems). Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... …southern Spain and northern Africa, esparto grass has a higher cellulose content than most nonwood plants, with greater uniformity of fibre size and shape. This page was last edited on 11 October 2020, at 12:10. S. tenacissima is especially abundant in the sterile and rugged parts of Murcia and Valencia and in Algeria; it flourishes in dry sandy soils on the seacoast. Plaited esparto: people weave a long strip of raw esparto or crushed esparto. The oldest baskets of esparto, dating back 7,000 years, were found in a cave in southern Spain (Cueva de los Murciélagos, Albuñol, Granada). Traditionally, esparto basketry has not been a professional product. Esparto was also used for making slingshots. Ropes could be made with raw esparto, crushed esparto or raked esparto (after crushed). Omissions? Pardo de Santayana, M., Morales, R., Aceituno, L. y Molina, M. 2014. Esparto has a storage life of approx. First used in Great Britain in 1850, it has been extensively used there and in Europe, but due to transportation costs, it is rarely found in the United States. After the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), esparto was declared a "national fiber"; there was even a National Esparto Service. Esparto leaves have been used for millennia. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). It is used for crafts, such as cords, basketry, and espadrilles. These are made with crushed esparto. The plant typically attains a height of 1 or 1.2 metres (3.3 or 4 feet). For centuries, esparto grasslands have been managed by local populations in order to boost the harvest, due to its economic value. Esparto has a storage life of approx. A wide strip of plaited raw esparto, named "pleita" in Spanish, is the traditional mold for Manchego cheese. Highly inflammable with possible spontaneous combustion if bales wet and in contact with oils or fats. Iberians used esparto rugs as floor coverings. This is the raw esparto, which is used for different basketry techniques. In southern Spain there is an "Esparto culture": a deep knowledge about the many uses of this fiber forms part of the traditions of these communities. Lygeum spartum, another species of grass, is also used in combination with true esparto, and is also sometimes called "esparto grass" or albardine. The fibres are fairly short in relation to their width, yet do not create any significant amount of dust. Is subject to ordinary loss in weight due to drying out, but may gain in weight due to absorption of moisture of extraneous nature. In ancient times these were used as weapons of war, but could also be used for hunting or by shepherds to protect their livestock. "Esparto" or σπάρτο in Greek may refer to any woven products of sedge or broom, including cords and ropes. It also has very good folding properties. There are many esparto remains in archaeological settlements from as long ago as the Neolithic period, including rugs, ropes, clothes, etc. Snail basket stitch: this is a special stitch to make snail baskets, a specific basket to pick snails. Shepherds would sometimes weave a makeshift spoon from esparto leaves to eat curdle. Sound esparto has a characteristic yellow colour. The flower spikelets feature several long hairs and are surrounded by a characteristic long bract with a sharp point. Some paper, particularly specialty items, is made from synthetic fibres.…. L. spartum is a perennial grass that reaches about 70 cm (2.3 feet) in height. Esparto grass production increased during the 19th Century, mainly to make paper. In many cases, different terms are used in different regions. Shepherds, farmers and other people of the countryside used to plait esparto on rainy days or in times not suitable for working. Cofin braiding: a typical stitch to make "cofines", a swallow basket used formerly in the olive oil mills to press the olive mass. The Archaeological Museum of Cartagena has an example of a Roman esparto canteen two thousand years old. Wir haben derzeit 1 Lösung: HALFA. A donkey with traditional esparto panniers, Esparto lizard (work, Eliecer Garcia, Albacete), European influence and tribal society in Tunisia during the nineteenth century: the origins and impact of the trade in esparto grass 1870-1940. Coiled esparto: sewing many esparto leaves into a spiral, every turn over the former one. A special esparto basketry piece is the esparto canteen. Twinning esparto: similar to wicker basketry. Made with crushed esparto and waterproofed with pine pitch, they were used by the shepherds of southeastern Spain to carry water in the mountains. The stick is used to pull up a handful of leaves at a time. Its tough leaves are stiff and rushlike.