THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE HODLR CLOAK
Only 21 custom cloaks will ever be made.
A contemporary ceremonial garment created from local black sheep wool, traditional craftsmanship and 24k gold embroidery.
#1/21 was acquired by the Bitcoin Art Museum in Nashville.
It was also featured in the movie ´Money Electric, The Bitcoin Mystery´. Worn there by Adam Back, the creator of HashCash, a direct technological precursor and inspiration for Bitcoin's mining system.
WHAT DOES IS MEAN TO BELIEVE?
HODLRS, the hardcore believers in Bitcoin.
The ones that know Bitcoin can change the system and the world.
Never selling, no matter what.
A cornerstone in Bitcoins mythology and the source of inspiration for this piece.
So how do you portray a HODLR?
I looked for something that in it´s very essence would portray the qualities of the HODLR.
Determined believers.
A tribe that shares a common ideal.
Humble warriors in a battle for a better world.
Strong handed individuals.
And then I found it.
The Alistane cloak.
A garment with its own mythology.
A garment suited only for the finest defenders of the citadel.
THE CLOAK
Only 21 will ever be made.
Each cloak is individually commissioned to fit the story and measurements of its collector and is made from:
100% wool of Black sheep from the Zamora region in Spain.
traditional handmade Alistane cape creation
24k gold embroidery
a custom made unique coat of armor, designed for each collector
The original work was created in collaboration with Rafaela Fernández, a seamstress who dedicated her life to making these garments. Her work is inspired by cloaks sometimes more than a hundred years old.
Rafaela has an unmatched expertise and a profound knowledge of the huge diversity of the traditional motives that embellish these garments. She was recently commissioned to make one for Pope Francis.
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THE PROCESS
1
CONVERSATION
We get on a call or write via email and you tell me what you want this cloak to be about.
This part is important so I can create a unique coat of arms for you.
You don´t have to have to know beforehand. That is what the call is for.
2
MAKING
The cloak is created through traditional craftsmanship, by a local seamstress, using the same material, techniques and design that inspired the original work. It is custom made to your measurements.
I create the design of your personal coat of arms. When the first part of the cloak is finished, I hand embroider your coat of arms, the coat of arms of the fellowship and the 24k gold embroidery accents in all parts of the design.
3
THE FINISHED CLOAK
You receive a unique artwork that can be worn, displayed and eventually passed on.
THE STORY
The Alistane Cape is a special traditional handmade garment, worn only in NW Spain and NE Portugal in certain occasions. It has a fascinating and mysterious long history, starring Roman legions, monks and humble shepherds and black sheep.
The artistic genesis of this work has was a challenging process.
As Ariadna, I had to find and pull a thread to find my way; As Jason, I ended up searching for a fleece, a black fleece.
Trips of hundreds of miles, countless research and conversations with all kinds of people in a far away land.
So get comfortable and enjoy the tale of The Fellowship of the Hodlr Cloak.
Our story begins centuries ago in the inhospitable North West Spanish highlands…
MEET IT´S MAIN CHARACTERS:
The Alistane cape has a long history in this region. It arrived from a far away land and developed into its modern version through the changes of history. Each part of its story adds to the symbolism and meaning of this artwork.
THE DEFENDER
Roman Soldiers
THE BELIEVER
Monks
THOSE THAT LEAD THE WAY
Shepards
THE DEFENDER
´Sub occasu pacata erat fere omnis Hispania, nisi quam Pyrenaei desinentis scopulis inhaerentem citerior adluebat Oceanus. Hic duae validissimae gentes, Cantabri et Astures, inmunes imperii agitabant.´
In the west almost all of Hispania was already at peace, except for the part of Citerior, clinging to the cliffs at the end of the Pyrenees, caressed by the ocean. Two very powerful peoples, the Cantabrians and the Astures, not subject to the Empire, were agitated here.
Lucius Annaeus Florus, Roman historian.
The Cantabrian wars were one of Augustus’s most challenging campaigns. Forcing him to go there in person, they mobilized eight full Roman legions in a brutal war that lasted a decade.
X Gemina, and IV Macedonica, both with the legion symbol of a bull, remained stationed there for 70 years. War and occupation also meant cultural exchange and mutual influence.
The Romans brought their Gods and goods.
One of these goods was the legionaries thick wool cloak, the paenula.
The garment was made from dark brown local wool.
THE BELIEVER
Dark and turbulent times came after the fall of the Roman Empire. Centuries will pass until we hear again about brown wool cloaks in the region.
Those of the Saint Mary of Moreruela Abbey's monks.
Established by Cistercians at 1131, very close to the old Roman forts, the Abbey was a formidable economical and cultural force in the area until the XIX century.
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Still a live tradition in a small part of Spanish Zamora and Portuguese Miranda do Douro, a few seamstress´ make them by hand, using only the wool from a breed of local endangered sheep. Highly appreciated, it is also a special gift given to high regarded people.
THOSE WHO LEAD THE WAY
It is precisely then, with the Roman forts long forgotten and the Abbey in ruins, that the advent of photography allows us to have a glimpse of our cloak for the first time.
Now a local traditional garment, 'capa de honras o alistana', was worn in special community occasions and used by shepherds to protect themselves from the harsh winds and cold of this region.
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This cloak wouldn't have been possible of course without the most humble, yet indispensable, character of our story. The black Castellana endangered breed sheep. Her ancestor was the local celtiberian breed that the Romans found when they arrived to the peninsula.
Just one of the multiple, fascinating and sadly endangered landscapes of farm animal breeds exquisitely adapted to the local weather and conditions of life by centuries of hard work. Now, wool is unfairly not appreciated, but it was highly regarded by our ancestors and was an important basic commodity.
Hispania nigri velleris praecipuas habet.
Spain has the best black wool.
Pliny the Elder
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I have to thank many people that participated and helped me along this project in Barcelona, Extremadura and especially Zamora.
As always, off the beaten track, Spain warms my heart with the hospitality and authenticity of its wonderful people.
This was a dream trip where I met shepherds, animal farm dealers, goat cheese makers, wool artisans and a long etcetera. I had the privilege to experience first hand how this beautiful garment tradition is celebrated at it´s annual celebration event by honorable and beautiful people that know and keep close to their hearts their priceless traditions to be shared with all.
A special mention go to Andrés, the head of the local association of promotion and study of the Alistana cape. A true guardian angel that is always on duty to defend the true essence of this tradition, to keep it alive, truthful and open to be celebrated and enjoyed by all.
https://m.facebook.com/AsociacionCapaAlistana/
BECOME PART OF THE FELLOWSHIP
Only 21 cloaks will ever be made.
Each cloak is handmade, tailored to fit and embroidered with 24k gold embroidery and a unique custom made coat of arms.
INVESTMENT: 10,000€
* There is a down payment of 30% at the beginning and the rest is due upon completion.
* Payment in Bitcoin is encouraged. Three complimentary limited edition prints of your choosing will be added to the commissioned piece when payment is done in Bitcoin.
