OWP
Hand-Made Shipibo Ceramic Vase Ornament
Hand-Made Shipibo Ceramic Vase Ornament
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Perfect for your Christmas tree or an all-year decoration, this Vase Ornament has been handmade by a member of Peru's ancient Shipibo tribe. The Shipibo are well known for their traditional ceramic arts, which are often decorated with geometric patterns inspired by their ancestral cosmology. Each pattern is unique and attributed not to the individual artisan who created it, but to the collective consciousness of the entire tribe. As such, each piece shares a traditional tale of inspiration, ancient knowledge, and collective wisdom.
- Measures approximately 3" high x 1-1/2" wide
- Decorated on both sides
- Also available as a Ball, Bell, or Set of Three
Handmade and fair trade imported from Peru.
Shipibo art is well-known for its intricate designs, yet little understood by the outside world. Some anthropologists consider the geometric patterns an ancient language form; others speculate they represent an ancient cosmology, the mapping of the Amazon rivers, or the shapes of an Anaconda. While anthropologists disagree on the exact meaning, art lovers may enjoy the elaborate design, soft curves, and the light weight of each piece, which is handcrafted without the use of pottery wheels.
Shipibo ceramics have grown more involved over time, with sophisticated patterns passing from one generation of artisans to the next. Shipibo artisans, often the women of the village, are not formally trained. Rather, they're collectively inspired to create their own distinctive patterns and work together to produce a single piece. To an observer, each woman seems moved by the same artistic spirit; one woman can interrupt her work and assign another artisan to complete that particular piece. The finished art will look like it was made by a single artist. This is communal art at its finest.
About the Artisans
About the Artisans
Chichicastenango, Guatemala, has become one of the most important heritage centers in Guatemala during the past 10 years, due to its predominant indigenous Maya Quiche population and their traditional textile products. Yet, despite increased tourism and a renewed interest in traditional Mayan crafts, work opportunities remain few for the indigenous population, many of whom are uneducated and otherwise unemployable.
Enter De Colores Art, a local business that levels the playing field for villagers by offering free training to anyone who demonstrates the initiative to learn a trade. The company employs 30 women and 18 men to knit and embroider textile products, with the option of working at home using materials provided by the company. De Colores recognizes the culture of its Mayan employees, and as such allows flexible hours and gives time off for sowing and harvest days.
De Colores also invests in community education projects by funding two local schools in the neighboring towns of Chujupen y Pachoj, and by providing scholarships to qualifying students.
In addition to stimulating the local economy by creating new jobs, De Colores makes a conscious effort to use recycled materials whenever possible. The reason for this is twofold: to preserve Mayan culture, as recycled textiles showcase traditional knitting patterns that aren’t often seen in newer textiles, and to reduce scraps and waste.
Communities collaborate in the production process, as men work on the biggest textiles and women do the embroidery, crochet and macramé seen in smaller pieces. In some cases, in order to be competitive, sewing machines are used to assemble the finished product, although all the components are handmade and hand embroidered from cotton, wool and/or silk.
