 |
The Inca Connection |
 |
 |
Chulucana
Pottery
Chulucana pottery is made only in the village of that name. The village is located on the slopes of Mount Vicus. This magical and mysterious mountain was once the center of the ancient Indian race after which it was named. The Vicus, who flourished until about 400 B.C., created one of the richest cultures of the Pre-Columbian world. To them, the making of pottery was not simply forming clay into desired shapes. Pottery making was considered a way to communicate with the secrets of the earth, and it was a means to give praise to the creative gods of the universe.
In the late 1960s, a tomb of a Vicus nobleman was discovered at the base of the mountain. A small group of young, artistic potters, all of whom were descendants of the Vicus, formed a village in the vicinity of the tomb. They named their new village Chulucana. They studied the style and form of the beautiful, ceramic vases discovered in the tomb and attempted to recapture the lost glory of their cultural and historical past through the duplication of that which they studied. It is both the technique used and the production of the actual pottery itself that has brought this village international fame (especially in Europe).
Neither potters' wheels nor molds are used in the making of these items. The artisan sits with his bare feet crossed in front of him, soles up, and uses his feet to hold the pottery while his hands shape and mold its form. The finished piece is given a slip coat of color and burnished with a special polishing stone giving it a brilliant shine. Then, using a paste of earth and water, designs may or may not be painted on the surface of the pottery. When the paste mixture is removed after firing, the areas that were covered by the mixture remain their original slip color while the uncovered portions are turned black by the smoke from the fire. It is the belief of the potters that their production of vases is an offering to the ancient gods. In effect, they say, the earth has been good to them by giving them crops to eat and feed to their animals. It is only right, therefore, that they give something back to the earth. The gifts they give are called "Mud Jewels" in their native Indian dialect. Click Here to See our Pottery and Ceramics Image Gallery
|
 |
 |
 |
