|
|
We're Growing!
We're expanding our work in Peru to help break the cycle of poverty for even more artisans. We've partnered with Manos Amigas, a long-time, committed 100% Fair Trade organization based in Lima to bring you new products including musical instruments, chulucanas pottery, and more. We continue our commitment to working with artisans-in-need and our primary trade partner Bridge of Hope, but know we can do even more for artisans in Peru.
New! Chulucanas Spiral Bowl $20
Ceramic chulucanas bowl with dark brown and off-white spiral design inside and out. Made with a traditional technique of hand applying the ash of mango leaves to achieve the dark design. Read more about the technique and the producer in the sidebar at right.
New! Parrot Double Hand Drum $10 
Hand drum hand-painted with bright parrot on both sides of the head. Roll between your palms or flip back and forth, and beads hit each side of the drum. We also have a new Shipibo Hand Drum.
Shop Now for Parrot Hand Drum >>
New! Turquoise Tagua Earrings $16 
These brightly dyed turquoise tagua drop earrings add a pop of color. Made from sustainably harvested tagua nut with silver ear wires.
Shop Now for Tagua Earrings >>
New! Geometric Ocarina $6.50
Traditional ceramic ocarina whistle with hand-painted geometric designs on a cord and accented with a ceramic bead.
New! Gourd Cup and Ball $14 
Toss the ball into the cup. A traditional pastime with a Peruvian twist, made from gourds.
Shop Now for Cup and Ball >>
New! Bird Whistle $6.50
Charming ceramic bird whistle on a cord accented with a bead. Blow into the tail to hear the sweet whistling sound.
|
|
|
|
Traditional Peruvian Chulucanas Ceramics
Our new chulucanas ceramics are created by Ernesto Balladares who has worked with Manos Amigas for two years.
Chulucanas pottery is traditional to Peru. Ernesto starts by shaping the piece and letting it dry. He says, "Then you paint it. After that dries, you use a small river rock to polish it, to give it a natural shine. Then you let it dry more, perhaps another day. Then you fire it at 900 degrees Celsius. It takes 8 hours to fire. Then you let it cool for 4 hours."
At that point the drawings are added. Ernesto essentially draws with the ash of mango leaves. "You put mango leaves on the parts of the piece that you want to turn light brown, dark brown, or black. What doesn't get covered up stays the same color you've painted. Then you put it into the cylindrical smoker and smoke the piece. After a half hour, the parts that are covered with the mango leaf have turned light brown. After an hour and a half, the parts that are covered with the mango leaf are now dark brown. And after a third smoking, the parts that are covered with the mango leaf have turned black." The piece is taken out of the smoker, cleaned, and polished with a small brush.
Ernesto says, "Manos Amigas gives me the price I ask for. It's a fair price.... Many companies just try to get you to give it to them for the cheapest possible price, no matter if it is fair to you or not.... I appreciate that Manos Amigas has rules that they operate by and are faithful to."
Ernesto is part of an artisan association of, 5 workshops, each workshop with a different specialty. The association has a shop, with each artisan's products. A local university is working with the association on capacity-building efforts such as costs, marketing, and packaging
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment