The Qom, or Tobas, are an ethnic group of the Pampas group that inhabits the Gran Chaco region, an extensive plain in the interior of South America, occupying territories of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay. They were nomads with an economy based on hunting, fishing and gathering. The basic unit in their social organization was the “band” formed by the union of several extended families, who moved through the territories to the rhythm of the ecological cycles.

The Toba universe is made up of three planes - celestial, terrestrial and subterranean - linked by a long central axis represented by a tree - Nawe epaq or "Black Tree" - whose roots sink into the depths until they reach the region of the dead and whose crown merges with the sky. It is a symbol of the union between the different planes.

The gradual urbanization process of the Gran Chaco forced Toba families to settle in sedentary agricultural communities or migrate to the cities, basing their subsistence on the commercialization of leather and handicrafts, or on wage labor. They practice weaving with plant fibers and wool, basketry and clay modeling. Qom basket makers work with plant fibers such as palm leaves (lag'aray laué), totora (che'ena) or rush (na'até).