Aserrin - Sawdust

An Integral Part of the Alfombras of the Santa Semana

Aserrin or sawdust is one of the more common materials and certainly the most famous and is used in alfombras. Sawdust is tinted with brightly colored dyes and sold by the bag in the market. Many people purchase the colors and dye their own sawdust. The natural dyes are sold in the market and are mixed with water, then mixed into buckets of sawdust. The sawdust has to be dried before it can be used, so this process has to be started at least a few days ahead of time, before the processions start.

Alfombras made from sawdust can be as simple as a couple of colors laid over each other to form a pattern or as complex as entire Biblical scenes carefully created with various shades of wood chips. The more complicated alfombras will be started immediately after the previous procession goes through and can take up to 12 hours to complete. Once completed, the carpets are sprinkled with water on a regular basis to keep them from blowing away. Even in the early hours of the morning, it can be fairly warm during this time of year, so you'll see people on the street, watering the alfombra they completed early to keep it fresh and beautiful.

The stencils for these are designed months ahead of time and the construction can be quite complicated. Chipboard is carefully sawed to create the perfect designs, sometimes even with overlapping designs. Boards and bricks are used to create low level scaffolding once the base layer of sawdust is laid. The artists then crouch or lay on the boards, using the carefully placed stencils to create the desired effect. The end result is usually complete just minutes before the procession comes through, scuffing the sawdust everywhere and destroying a work of art.