Esparto(Stipa tenacissima)

The etymology of the word esparto references the terms for strength and resistance. When we at Let’s Pause talk about looking for that which is authentic we mean going back to the roots, to the very essence. Like rediscovering materials that grow in the wild as well as age-old techniques that have been employed in crafts since ancient times.

We look for the essence of things

We respect the time taken to do things, in the way they’ve always been done. Esparto grows naturally in the wild, uncultivated, nourished only by the rain, the sun and the wind from the Mediterranean. Our role is simply to wait. Patiently. And then collect is once it’s ripe and ready for being worked. The collection process happens over July and August although it can happen between May and December. It is then left to dry under the sun where it takes on its golden hue. Then it’s thrashed and the tips are crushed typically with a mace or flint stone to avoid punctures from the sharp ends. One by one.

Handicrafts and age-old techniques.

The esparto is worked by the expert hands of our craftsmen and turned into lamp shades, rugs, baskets, chaise-longues and bed boards. Four different techniques are employed, passed down in the same way as the trades of old, under the tutorship of a master, imparting the knowledge little by little.