Gold Chulucanas Nativity

This elegant Nativity is from Chulucanas, a town situated on the side of Mt. Vicús in the northwestern coastal region of Peru. Chulucanas is well known for its rich and ancient tradition of pottery making.  The technique used is known as “reverse technique” and has been handed down from the ancient pre-Columbian inhabitants of this region. Their ceramics are displayed today in some museums under the name of Vicus pottery.

Usually monochrome brown or black this stylized Chulucanas Nativity is set apart by it’s complex coloring highlighted by the gold.

This nativity is made available through Allpa. This craft trading company is named for a Quechua Indian word that means “earth.” Allpa works with families located in Cusco, Ayacucho, Chulucanas, Cajamarca and Huancavelica as well as Shipibo people living in the Amazon rainforest area of Pucalepa.  Allpa began as an alternative trading organization in 1986. Ten Thousand Villages has purchased products from Allpa since 1988.