THE ART OF RUSH

The scent of ancient crops – Art of panari

Lu panaru (or panaro) represents the symbolic object of rush processing in the lower Salento. In fact, in addition to ceramics, rush processing has always been a characterizing element of Salento. In particular of some countries (such as Acquarica del Capo and Morciano) where most of the products (panari, sporte, fiscelle) made by hand with natural fibers were produced.
Although the final realization of these products was often the prerogative of women, young or old, the male contribution was nevertheless fundamental. Especially in the harvesting and processing phase. In fact, the raw material from which we start for the production is the marsh rush (called “palèddhu”). It is a grass that grows close to swamps or dunes near the beaches. Lu paleddu is characterized by thin green stems with a height that can exceed one meter. Then the men, at night or in the cooler hours, reached the marshes of Avetrana, Acaja or Ugento. They arrived with carts or bicycles to collect the rush and then return home only after hours of harvesting in the sun. After harvesting, the marsh rush had to undergo some treatments to make it more malleable and flexible, before it could be processed. The rush was subjected to a series of steps: boiling, drying and sulfurization. After an initial boiling, drying took place (for about two weeks in which it assumed the typical yellow color). Only at the end was the sulfur plating process in which the reeds, once again wet, were hung in rooms where the air was soaked with sulfur evaporated from the pots. Thanks to the sulfur plating, the rush became even softer and was therefore ready to be braided.
At this point the women came into play. These, sitting on the ground on a blanket or a jute sack, spent hours weaving “lu paleddhu” creating magnificent baskets with great craftsmanship.
The type of weave varied according to the type of product to be made but also according to the stage of processing: the bottom, the sides or the final edge. Among the most typical products made in rush we remember: the baskets, the fiscelle and the panari.
The “shopping bags” were used by farmers to bring their own food to be consumed during the day in the countryside. The “fiscelle”, on the other hand, were containers for fresh cheese. The “panari”, on the other hand, are typical wicker and wattle baskets with a single arched handle, used for harvesting olives or figs. In some areas closer to the sea, “pots” for lobster fishing at sea were also built.
Currently, the production of these products is reduced to a minimum, although it is still possible to find some elderly people who work the rush by hand. Lately, however, we have also seen some young people who have embraced the culture of the rush and have undertaken art and weaving. This raises the hopes that this Salento artistic tradition will persist and will not completely disappear.
At Corte Manfredi, you can find several examples of ancient baskets and panari (6A), once used for the olive harvest, olives of which, even today, you seem to smell …