Liza Bergara – Makhilas manufacturer

Nouvelle-Aquitaine – 1987

Liza Bergara was raised in the Basque Country and creates Makhilas. She spent her childhood working alongside her grandfather and mother in the family’s makhila-making workshop. After studying marketing, in 2014 she took a course in engraving at the Ecole Boulle’s GRETA. When her mother retired in 2018, Liza Bergara decided to take over the family workshop: Atelier Ainciart Bergara. In 2019, the craftswoman joined the Master of Art programme in tandem with Xavier Retegui, who taught her techniques involved in crafting Makhilas.

Makhila is not only a stick but also a defensive weapon, an heirloom listed in UNESCO’s inventory of rare crafts. This three-material object is custom made for private individuals, according to their size and weight. The neflier wood, which takes several decades to prepare, is covered with leather and a metal cap personalised with the owner’s creation date, the name, and the motto in Basque.

2023 – Laureate of the Concours du tour de France artisans.

2019 – Student of Master of Art Xavier Retegui.

Registered as a UNESCO World Heritage

Research and innovation

Makhila is a prestigious gift where the skills, tools and know-how are “part of its era, integrated within its culture and customs”, and Liza Bergara is aware of this. When she creates, she always adds modernity, never far from the traditional spirit of the Makhila.

Transmission

Liza Bergara is the 7^th generation of her family to dedicate their lives to crafting Makhilas. She contributes to preserve this heritage, and in particular its craft techniques, by passing on her knowledge to trainees. Since 2000, the exhibition space has been set up, and Liza modernised it in 2020 to make it more attractive to visitors, both amateurs and curious.

The family workshop has always wanted to be independent in the creative process. In 2024, Liza Bergara approached the Foundation to acquire a leather weaving machine to avoid contracting out the leather and after producing part of the production herself.