Restitución y empoderamiento a través de las artesaníasel encaje de bolillos

Abstract

Handicrafts can be part of the heritage of a local community and are potential resources both economically and socially. Bobbin lace, as a traditional craft practice, have and important role in some Galician villages. It is performed mostly by women –called palilleiras- and nowadays we can see an increase in their practice. The shift of interest from the product to palilleira´s practice enables reappropriation and visibilization of quotidian and anonymous work that have been making these social agents. Palilleira´s work helps to improve local economy through marketing and touristization but, mainly, its promotion empowers women by democratizing power dynamics. This paper explores the rise of bobbin lace practice, associationism and their presence in public space related to the increasing enhancement of palilleiras and their activities. The change of perspective object/practice puts the focus on women, and the case of palilleiras is an interesting case of heritage restitution. The gender perspective and the ethnographic fieldwork are the theoretical and methodological framework in this research which is still in progress