Aixada i xapeta (aixadell)

What is

Digging tools with the iron at an acute angle to the handle. In Mallorca the aixada (or xada) is a double tool: one side with a horizontal edge or point and the other with a vertical edge, point or head. The Catalan aixadell (small one-handed hoe) in Mallorca is called xapeta or xapolina (DCVB).

How is

• Aixada: steel iron with a ull (eye) through which a 70-90 cm handle passes (DCVB, general measurement).
• In Mallorca only the aixada de fulla estreta, double (DCVB) is known by this name. Majorcan variants:
• xada amb tip / tip / drawer: tip at one end or both; for wells, ditches and hard ground (Manacor, Felanitx, Ariany, Vilafranca, Muro).
• xada boca-ampla: cutting edge as wide or wider than the cleat; to cut firewood (Manacor, Vilafranca, Sant Llorenç).
• aixada drill bit / xada amb broc: tip at each end (Llombards / Mancor).
• xada llenyatera: larger; for garrigue firewood (Ariany, Vilafranca).
• The stonecutters of Mallorca use two types of their own aixada (see stonecutter eines ).
• Xapeta: small hoe, with one hand or short handle (DCVB: xapolina, escardillo).

How is fa

• Ferrer 's forge: iron heated in the forge, struck on the anvil, tempered edge. See ferro forjat and enclusa i manxa .
• Local wood handle (wild olive, hackberry: per piece).
• Today Eines Mallorquines (Sineu) forges them: xapeta, replacement handles, repairs.

Com s'usa

• Eixartigar (skimming the mountain), digging earth with stone, cutting bushes, opening ditches.
• The xapeta: weeding, opening small holes to plant.
• Marjades and stone tool in dry .

Vocabulary

• aixada / xada: Mallorcan double hoe.
• ull: hole in the iron where the handle enters.
• cala / aceró: parts of the iron: body and steel edge.
• xada puntera / gavetera: with tip, for trenches (drawers).
• xada boca-ampla: with a wide edge, for firewood.
• xapeta / xapolina: small hoe (Mall.).
• eixartigar: clearing a piece of land.

History

• 901: "aixata" in a document from the Arxiu de la Corona d'Aragó (DCVB).
• 13th century: Jaume I makes the Saracens dig “ab exades” (Crònica).
• 1926: the Eines Mallorquines forge (Sineu) opens, three generations.

On veure'n

• Museum of Mallorca, ethnological section (Wall) .
• Sineu Market (Wednesday) and the Eines Mallorquines workshop.

Why is it design

• Two tools in one: each end for one type of soil.
• Names by town: the shape changed depending on the soil of each region.
• Repairable: the edge is reinforced in the forge; the handle is changed.

For the project

• Graphic typology of the Mallorcan xades (toe, wide mouth, drill, llenyatera) with Eines Mallorquines.
• Reissue of a xapeta with an olive handle: a useful urban garden object.

Sources

• dcvb.iec.cat/results.asp?Word=aixada
• dcvb.iec.cat/results.asp?Word=aixadell
• dcvb.iec.cat/results.asp?Word=xapeta
• einesmallorquines.com

Working text from the Disseny Indígena knowledge base, machine-translated from Spanish.

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