Incense burner made of clay. Chulucanas. ca. Ø 10,5 x 7 cm

Incense burner made of clay. Chulucanas

100% fair traded

Chulucanas ceramics

Dimensions: approx. 

• ca. Ø 10,5 x 7 cm

"Mujeres para el mundo" Cooperative

On the north coast of Peru, in Chulucanas, the small capital of the Morrópon Province, live the descendants of the Tallanes, a pre-Columbian indigenous group known for their ceramics. This handicraft is still practiced very traditionally in terms of colors and patterns. But the production methods have also remained virtually unchanged for centuries. Due to the lack of other sources of income, ceramics production is often the only way to support families.The cooperative is made up of around 15 women, often several members of a family. Some of them are recognized and respected masters of their art. The cooperative has received several awards for its efforts, techniques, and the preservation of its cultural heritage.

Regional
Chulucanas is located in a very dry, tropical climate zone and is also known as the capital of mangoes, lemons, and ceramics. There are no industrial plants or large companies here. Therefore, the men of the region often work in other cities. Agriculture and handicrafts are a small but important source of income for the family. The cooperative's female artisans employ their entire families for larger orders. The men are also involved in the production and employed locally.Thus, supporting the "Artesanas" contributes to strengthening local social structures. Currently, the cooperative's sales still have room to grow, as this beautiful craft is not yet well-known and relatively few tourists come to the region. However, we want to change that and raise awareness of the cooperative's valuable work. The Product: These ceramic products are created according to special traditional templates called "vicus." However, the "Artesanas para el mundo" also develop new designs and motifs to tap into greater sales potential.

The ceramic products are handcrafted using simple tools. Using only a wooden board, the clay is shaped by hand into the desired form, then painted with mineral colors and fired at a relatively low temperature (900°C), usually in traditional wood-fired kilns. The ceramics are then polished with river stones. The way they create colors and patterns is particularly interesting. A negative technique is used, in which the later lighter areas are covered with liquid clay, and the later darker areas are covered with mango leaves. The effect described above occurs during the subsequent second firing. The clay figures receive their typical shine through polishing and smoothing with wax.

Collaboration with Arte-Indio
Arte Indio has begun collaborating with the women's cooperative to publicize the rare and very interesting craft technique used by the artisans in Chulucanas to create their ceramic products. We also want to give the women access to markets outside Peru in order to secure and expand their only source of income besides agriculture.

Benefits of Collaboration
* Elimination of middlemen (direct sales)
* Pre-financing of all orders
* Payment of fair prices
* Securing regular income through long-term collaboration
* Support in product development
* Securing continued production for the domestic market
* Support for social projects
* Access and connection to
* sales markets for disadvantaged regions