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San Germán.- Aladino Muñiz Ramírez has been honing the craft of basket weaving for 40 years, creating a diverse range of styles that have attracted numerous customers. When they buy one of his pieces, these customers assist in preserving the artistry he inherited from his family.

The gentle movement of his father’s hands as he wove the vines that shaped the baskets captivated Aladino’s heart from a young age. He was born and raised in the neighborhood of Hoconuco Bajo in San Germán.

“My dad dedicated his whole live to this; I started learning gradually about 40 years ago. I did it because I liked it. I learned from him because I watched him. “I helped him by looking for the vine,” said the craftsman.

His baskets are made with different types of vines and, according to the artisan, this is the most difficult part of his work. At 64 years old, Aladino ventures into the forest to gather the raw materials used in his pieces.

“There are quite a few types of vines; we have the paloma vine, cupey vine, prieto vine, zucchini, and pupeillo. There used to be plenty here in the neighborhood, at least the prieto vine is still available, but I have to go to Adjuntas to find the cupey vine and the zucchini. I have permission from the Government to enter the Maricao Forest, but gathering the vines is more difficult than making the basket. At least I had relatives who went with me before; now they’re all in the United States, so going alone is harder,” said the artist.

The search became even more challenging after Hurricane María in 2017. The devastation the hurricane inflicted severely affected the forests where this raw material is found.

“It’s hard to find the cupey, pupeillo, and zucchini vines easily. The hurricane damaged them because they were up in the hills, and the wind battered them and destroyed them. I have an easier time finding the prieto vine and the paloma vine,” mentioned Aladino, who further explained that another challenge in this process is that the vines must be harvested only during the waning phase of the moon.

“It’s best to harvest during the waning phase because the tide is low, and the vine retains less water. If you cut them during the waxing phase, they quickly get infested with moths and spoil. The same goes for planting; whether it’s wood or anything you’re going to cut, it has to be during the waning phase,” advised the artisan.

Regarding the technique of creating these beautiful baskets, Aladino said, “It’s more or less the same as knitting; you alternate the threads.” The crafting time for each piece depends on the size of the basket and they can last decades intact.

“If it’s small, I can finish it in about half an hour, provided I have the vine. For larger ones, it might take me around two hours after gathering the materials. These baskets last a long time; I have some that are over 30 years old,” stated the resident of San Germán, who maintains that there are currently between 16 and 18 basket artisans on the island.

In fact, he noted that in the past, there was greater demand for the product due to its versatile uses. Faced with the threat of the disappearance of this craft, Aladino decided to teach workshops on how to make the baskets.

“They were made for gathering fruits, clothes, coffee, and were used as cradles to take babies home from the hospital. They also made hats. Peddlers would also go house-to-house with those baskets selling things, like the bakers used to do,” he recalled.

For more information about the workshops or how to purchase the products made by the artisan, call 787-519-0628.