arpillera means A patchwork picture made predominantly by women in Chile, especially as a form of underground protest during the military dictatorship (1973–90) of Augusto Pinochet. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 90 out of 100.
Why “arpillera” is a great word
ARPILLERA — [Noun] A narrative textile picture made of fabric scraps on burlap, created collectively as a clandestine form of political protest and documentary testimony, most famously by women in Chile during the Pinochet dictatorship. From Spanish arpillera, meaning "burlap" or "hessian", the coarse fabric used as the backing for these pictures. Unlike a "collage" (an aesthetic assemblage of varied materials) or a "quilt" (a functional bedcover sewn for warmth), an arpillera is a collective, sewn cry for justice. It is the rough bite of burlap beneath embroidered suns, the bright scrap of a daughter's dress forming a disappeared face, the careful stitches mapping a secret detention center—a testament that the softest materials can bear the hardest truths.
Etymology
From Spanish arpillera (literally “burlap”).
noun
- A patchwork picture made predominantly by women in Chile, especially as a form of underground protest during the military dictatorship (1973–90) of Augusto Pinochet.