T'ITSECH, a well full of water

Geolocation

Citation

David Jabin, “T'ITSECH, a well full of water,” String figures, accessed February 24, 2026, https://stringfigures.huma-num.fr/items/show/274.
  • Overall presentation

  • Name : T'ITSECH, a well full of water

  • Creator : David Jabin

  • Contributor(s) : Marquita Pérez, Samaria village, Nivacle Unida comunity, Central Chaco, Paraguay.

  • Date : 2019-2020


  • Information on the string figure

    • General presentation of the string figure

    This string figure represents a well full of water. Due to the semiarid climate of the south-west part of the Chaco region, water is a scare ressource. Nivacle and enlhet speaking people evoke the presence or absence of water in several string figures.

    Construction method (ISFA)

    1. Position I: insert L15 and R15 in the loop.
    2. Twist L15 loop 180 clockwise.
    3. R1 picks the left palmar string.
    4. Repeat with opposite hand.
    5. Distally, in the center of the figure, insert the mouth into 2 loop.
    6. With the teeth, seize the cross formed by 1n and 5n. Return.
    7. Release 2.
    8. Proximally insert 2 in 1 loops, transfer these loops to 2.
    9. Release left 5 loop, twist it 180 clockwise and transfer it to 1 and 5.
    10. Repeat with opposite hand.
    11. Proximally, insert 1 into 2 loops (close to indices), pick up 2n and return.
    12. Navaho 1.
    13. Distally, insert 2 into the little triangles near the thumbs.
    14. Turn the palms away while releasing 5.
    15. Extend palms away.
  • Item references

  • Key words : String figures, Nivacle, paraguayan Chaco

  • Publisher : Laboratory SPHERE (UMR 7219, University of Paris & CNRS)

  • Rights : Creative Commons / Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA

  • Format : jpeg, mp4, text

  • Language : Spanish

  • Location : Village of Samaria, Boquerón Department, Paraguay, South America.

  • Description : Nivacle string figure, method of construction, linguistic data, cultural aspects

Output Formats