084-103_INDUMENTA_05 29/1/09 14:44 Página 84 Age-old costumes. Women’s costumes in the Ansó valley and Irene Seco Serra Curator of the Museo del Traje. CIPE the creation of models Doctor of Archaeology [email protected] of popular attire KEYWORDS: Ansó valley, traditional costume, survival, historical process. The world of what has become known as “popular,” “regional” or “traditional” dress is both varied and repetitive – in- tricate at times, ambiguous at others, but always fascinating. And, since the early years of the 20th century, the cos- Figura 1. Traje femenino de Ansó. Primera exposición tume of the town of Ansó in Huesca permanente del Museo del Traje. CIPE. Sala “El traje has been one of the most studied exam- regional”, vitrina “Memoria del pasado”, MT005741, ples of this kind of dress. The collection MT0044, MT018527, MT018529, MT018535, MT018537. of the Museo del Traje contains a not Figure 1. Ansó women’s costume. First permanent exhibition of the Museo del Traje. CIPE. “The Regional Costume” inconsiderable number of pieces from Hall, “Historical Memory” display case, MT005741, Ansó, and a complete woman’s outfit is MT0044, MT018527, MT018529, MT018535, MT018537. featured in its first permanent exhibi- tion (figure 1). The costume is solemn and heavy, “I offer you, reader, […] a few age-old and its appearance is so original that costumes that have been worn by one early analyses identified it with me- hundred generations in two abrupt dieval dress and even sought to estab- corners of Aragón” (Ricardo del Arco, lish that it dated from earlier eras, up- 1924). holding it as the perfect example of the survival of ancient, almost archaic, ele- ABSTRACT: The traditional costume of ments in secluded locations. Thus, the women from the Ansó valley in the Py- Ansó costume was viewed as a snap- rinees is one of the most original dress- shot of the past, a fragment of history es in the Iberian Peninsula. For many that had survived in an isolated valley of years, it has been presented as a perfect the Pyrenees where time stood still. For example of archaism, as it was thought example, in 1924 Ricardo del Arco1 to preserve local mediaeval traditions. wrote words such as these: However, as happens in most tradition- “How noble, indeed, and what an in- al costumes, the Ansó dress is but the spiration of survival are the customs of ending point of a cultural and historical the frontier valleys of Hecho and Ansó! course. Through the analysis of the ele- […] Amidst those rugged peaks hides, as ments that give shape to this costume, if in a finis terrae Aragoniae, the true some light will be cast upon the historical Aragonese, lean yet sturdy, processes of fusion and adaptation whose figure diminishes as the plains which gave birth to this traditional cos- draw nearer until in certain places he 1 ARCO, 1924, pp. 6-7. tume as we know it today. becomes almost emaciated in external 84 084-103_INDUMENTA_05 29/1/09 14:44 Página 85 Trajes seculares. El traje femenino del valle de Ansó y la formación Irene Seco Serra de los modelos de Conservadora del Museo del Traje. CIPE Doctora en Arqueología indumentaria popular [email protected] “Te ofrezco, lector, […] unos trajes secu- Ansó, y un traje femenino completo for- lares que vistieron cien generaciones en ma parte de su primera exposición per- dos abruptos rincones aragoneses”. manente (figura 1). (Ricardo del Arco, año 1924). Se trata de un traje solemne y pesa- do, de un aspecto tan original que los RESUMEN: El traje tradicional femenino primeros análisis lo identificaron con del valle pirenaico de Ansó, uno de los la vestimenta medieval, e incluso bus- más originales de toda la Península Ibé- caron raíces más antiguas, convirtién- rica, se presenta a veces todavía hoy co- dolo en paradigma de la pervivencia mo ejemplo de pervivencias muy arcai- de elementos arcaicos –casi arcanos– cas en el mundo popular, y en él se en lugares recónditos. El traje de Ansó defiende concretamente la fosilización se entendía así como una instantánea de la indumentaria local de la Edad Me- del pasado, un fragmento de historia dia. Sin embargo, como ocurre en la que había sobrevivido en un apartado mayoría de los trajes tradicionales, la valle pirenaico por el que no pasaba el vestimenta ansotana es el fruto de un tiempo. Ricardo del Arco, por ejemplo, desarrollo histórico y cultural. Mediante escribía en el año 19241 cosas como el análisis de los elementos que compo- éstas: nen el traje, se intenta arrojar alguna luz “¡Qué nobles, en efecto, y qué alien- sobre el proceso de fusión y adaptación to de supervivencia las costumbres de que llevó a conformar este modelo de los valles fronterizos de Hecho y Ansó! indumentaria popular tal y como hoy lo […] Entre aquellas breñas se esconde, conocemos. como en un finis terrae Aragoniae, el auténtico aragonés histórico, enjuto PALABRAS CLAVE: valle de Ansó, indu- pero fornido, cuyo tipo decae a medida mentaria popular, pervivencias, proceso que el llano se acerca, hasta hacerse en histórico. ciertos lugares casi desmedrado en lo externo, aunque conserve toda la ga- El mundo de lo que se ha dado en lla- llardía subjetiva de la raza. […] Y ellas, mar vestimenta “popular”, “regional” o las ansotanas y las chesas, con su porte “tradicional” es a la vez variado y repe- único, reposado y gentil, semejan las titivo; a veces intrincado, otras veces Vírgenes prudentes de la Biblia, aparta- equívoco, siempre fascinante. Y, preci- das del mundano ajetreo. Una invasión samente, el traje de la localidad oscense de chesos y ansotanos en Madrid, pro- de Ansó ha sido, ya desde los primeros duciría asombro y aún espanto. Cree- años del siglo XX, uno de los más estu- ríanlos hombres de otras edades, que diados dentro de esta clase de indumen- resucitaban para dar vigor a España y taria. La colección del Museo del Traje cuya estatura deducimos por la propor- de Madrid alberga un número nada des- ción de los huesos de los antiguos en- preciable de piezas procedentes de terramientos. […] Chesas y ansotanas: 1 ARCO, 1924, pp. 6-7. 85 084-103_INDUMENTA_05 29/1/09 14:44 Página 86 of which can be traced back to me- dieval times and even to previous eras with roots in Iberian or Celtic cultures.”2 Also of interest in this respect is the existence of the “Festival in celebration of the typical costume of Ansó” which has been held on the last Sunday of August every year since 1971. On this subject we refer to Antonio Beltrán (1993, 163), whose description uses more modern words than Ricardo del Arco, but they too reflect pride in the land and nostalgia for the past: “Nearly four hundred people wear authentic costumes or imitations of the same, making an effort to avoid intro- ducing any unauthentic element except what is required when converting a cos- Figura 2. Camisa femenina del valle navarro appearance, although he retains all the tume that has now become a museum del Roncal. Detalle. Primera mitad del subjective gallantry of the race. […] And piece and the antithesis of modern dress siglo XX. Museo del Traje. CIPE, they, the ladies of Ansó and Hecho, into a wearable outfit for a day. It is nec- MT016629. Figure 2. Women’s shirt from the Navarre with their unique, calm and gentle de- essary to make adjustments given the Valley of El Roncal. Detail. First half of the meanour, resemble the prudent Virgins weight and stiffness of the garments, 20th century. Museo del Traje. CIPE, of the Bible, isolated from the worldly some of which weigh in excess of thirty MT016629. hustle and bustle. If the inhabitants of kilos, particularly the basquiña smocks, Ansó and Hecho invaded Madrid, they which scratch and irritate the skin of the would inspire wonder and even fright. modern-day ladies of Ansó unaccus- They would be taken for men of anoth- tomed to such attire, who perhaps have er time, resurrected to invigorate Spain more delicate skin than their ancestors and whose stature we deduced from the and, of course, have no thick shirts to proportion of the bones found in old protect them.” burial sites. […] Women of Ansó and Before moving on, it is important to Hecho, do not forswear the basquiña point out the striking formal similarity smock that so marvellously suits your that exists between the costumes of the graceful bearing of medieval ladies; do Hecho Valley or “cheso” dresses and the not give up the ruff or the circular head- garments of Ansó. This style of dress dress that do your beauty such justice. was probably once used in other re- […] It is yours, by exclusive right; and in gions of the Pyrenees and extended as its solemn folds lie hidden your lineage far as Navarre – by way of example, and the insignia of your pre-eminence look at the shirt from the Roncal Valley in Aragon.” in Navarre featured in figure 2, a gar- Although the impassioned language ment that is virtually identical to the of the texts written in the 20s seems to well-known Ansó shirts. As Beltrán not- have fallen into disuse, it is important to ed, “from a historical perspective, there remember that even today regional cos- is no doubt that the costumes in ques- tumes are still used as instruments of tion [from Ansó, Hecho and the Roncal ideological language, and the act of pro- Valley], particularly that of the women, moting them can be used, as is often the shared the same origin and, owing to case, to formulate a very clear political their isolation and repetitive circular message.