(Image Source: Dictador)

What you need to know:

• Dictador is unveiling the second release in their Totem range, named Dictador Mopa Mopa.

• Mopa Mopa is an ancestral artform from the Pasto region of Colombia, where resin called Mopa Mopa is extracted from the Elaeagia tree and used to decorate ceremonial drinking cups called Qeros.

• Mopa Mopa is both rare and sacred as it requires harvesters to undertake a two week trek through the mountains of Pasto in search of the resin and can only be done twice a year.

• The Dictador Totem collection seeks to celebrate and preserve cultural diversity, encourage traditionalism in art, and honour indigenous artisans and their artform dating back centuries.

• A total of 360 bottles of Dictador Mopa Mopa is produced and is priced between US$3,600 and US$4,800 depending on the bottle, and can be found on Dictador's online store.

(Image Source: Dictador)

Dictador is releasing the second piece of their Totem range which celebrates the preservation of cultural diversity, encourages traditionalism in art, and honours indigenous artisans and their techniques dating back centuries. The second Totem is titled Dictador Mopa Mopa.

The new Mopa Mopa collection is said to "demonstrate the artistry, technique, and thought devoted to the development of collectible rum bottles". With a total outturn of only 360 bottles, each bottle is hand-decorated by Colombian artists. The collection represents a historic and ancient art form that is also a symbol of love and respect the artisans have for their homeland and rich culture.

Harvesting Mopa Mopa resin. (Image Source: ICH UNESCO)

The art depicted is inspired by the ancient tradition of using Mopa Mopa, a native South American phenolic resin that has been utilised for centuries in cultural contexts by artisans of the Pasto region of Colombia. It was traditionally used to decorate ceremonial drinking cups known as Qeros. The process of creating the art involves a complex cycle where sheets of flexible resin are extracted from the Elaeagia tree, indigenous to the mountainous regions of western South America.

According to Dictador, the journey to collect the resin is done on foot and requires up to 5 hours of trekking to reach the destination. Resin gatherers would then set up campsites in the wilderness for anywhere from 8 to 15 days, where they would comb through patches of trees for viable harvest. In total, the harvesters would collect between 6-9 kilograms of Mopa Mopa, which is then sold to varnish masters. The Mopa Mopa is sacred for the beauty it is able to achieve and also the sheer effort involved in extracting it and therefore its rarity. Harvests only take place twice a year between May and November.

(Image Source: Dictador)

The artistry of Mopa Mopa is not only intricate but also time-consuming, with no possibility of automation or mass production, and as a result demonstrate the mastery of the artisans involved. As such indigenous crafts and practices such as the harvesting of Mopa Mopa and the creation of Pasto varnish are under threat, the brand believes it is crucial to preserve them, in order to protect the people and the artform.

(Image Source: Dictador)

The Dictador Mopa Mopa collection carries an RRP of US$3,600 to US$4,800, depending on the exact bottle, and can be purchased on Dictador's online store.

Kanpai!

@111hotpot