Painted Oxcarts Costa Rica
Painted Oxcarts Costa Rica
- The painted oxcart has become a Costa Rican symbol throughout the world.
- The oxcart is a rustic sturdy vehicle with two compact spokeless wheels moved by two oxen.
- During the 19th century, for transporting coffee to market, it was necessary to have a vehicle that could pass through muddy terrains, along beaches, over steep mountains and across small rivers.
- In the early 20th century, the tradition of painting and decorating oxcarts began.
- No two oxcarts are painted exactly the same.
- Today, oxcarts play an important symbolic role in parades and festivals representing Costa Rican former country life, folklore and traditions.
- Now trains and trucks have replaced oxcarts as the main means of transport.
- The colorful oxcart was declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2005.
- The town of Sarchi, where the largest and oldest oxcart factory is located, has become the traditional center for manufacturing and decorating oxcarts.
