Textiles by the thousands
There's so much, so much, so much variety in textiles that your head spins pretty quickly. There are so many handicraft markets, and some cities like Cusco have so many stores and markets that you can devote a full day or two to them. The most common items of clothing are chompas (pullovers), ponchos, mantas (shawls), gloves, hats and scarves, not forgetting travel bags, purses and elegant belts, preferably woven on both sides. Each region has its own traditional patterns, which can be found in the markets of Lima or Cusco, but an expert eye will be able to tell you which region each product comes from. The most beautiful belts, adorned with Inca geometric motifs, can be bought in Cusco. Belts with large embroidered flowers come from Ayacucho. Antique ponchos can still be found, especially in Cusco, but it's important to observe the weave and the quality of the workmanship. You can also buy new ponchos woven according to traditional techniques, but in this case we strongly advise you to visit craft cooperatives, which are the places where quality is most assured, such as the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco, which also signs each product with the hand of the craftsman who created it. In many communities, the presentation of the work process - from shearing and wool preparation to natural color baths and looms - is part of the community experience.
In the Amazon, superb hammocks are woven from durable cotton and plant fiber. Shipibo handicrafts, originally from Pucallpa but widespread throughout the jungle, feature magnificent wall hangings in geometric patterns of black, brown and ecru, embroidered with colorful threads that reflect the traditional mystique of this ethnic group. The finest embroideries come from Monsefú and Eten (near Chiclayo) and Cajamarca. Carpets from Ayacucho (Santa Ana district) or San Pedro de Casta (Lima) feature pre-Hispanic geometric motifs, coupled with Western perspectives.
Alpaca sweets
It's the finest, softest wool, and when worked with care, it's a joy to feel this light yet warm texture. Of course, the alpaca market is sometimes hard to navigate. You can find sweaters, gloves, shawls, scarves and, of course, ponchos. To know whether a product is really 100% alpaca, as the label indicates, you have to learn to touch and weigh the quality. Price is also a criterion, because this wool is expensive and if you want to treat yourself to something beautiful, you'll have to pay the price. Alpaca can also be combined with the even finer wool of guanaco or vicuña. In Arequipa, you'll find the main factories and quality brands. In Cusco and Lima, too, you'll find emblematic, benchmark brands that guarantee a safe purchase that should last for many years. The Kuna brand (kunastores.com), for example, details the specificity of each wool processed, but prices are very close to the American or European market. After that, there's nothing to stop you from falling for simpler models that combine the softness of alpaca with a more classic wool such as sheepskin.
Tableware and decorative items
Potters and sculptors are also skilled. Here again, each region has its own specific motifs and materials. Pucará toritos, made near Puno, have acquired a worldwide reputation. Hand-made and hand-painted, they were originally intended for magico-religious ceremonies (including cattle branding), as offerings to the mountain gods. These mischievous, colorful little bulls have now been brought up to date, and concept stores are also featuring new materials that allow the torito to slip into a suitcase without breaking. In Cusco, dishes and other tableware are made of clay and painted with geometric patterns inspired by pre-Columbian sacred motifs. Grotesque" or "vulgar" ceramics, inspired by those of Quinua, a small village on the outskirts of Ayacucho, depict disproportionately shaped figures. These ceramics reproduce churches, animals, folk scenes and candlesticks, and are highly sought-after for the red and cream colors of the mud used, and their expressive, almost childlike simplicity. Around Piura, in Chulucanas (particularly in the La Encantada district), utilitarian and decorative ceramics are produced, demonstrating a mastery of black and brown colors. These ceramics can be found in the markets of Cusco, Lima and Arequipa. The Shipibos indigenous people near Pucallpa (as well as the Arabela) decorate their pottery with geometric and anthropomorphic motifs dominated by brown and black. Their clay, called neapo, is highly malleable.
Another material very specific to the Andes is that used to mold small figures. In the Cusco region, objects are modeled in a paste made from wheat and rice flour, potatoes, papier-mâché and plaster. Representing biblical figures and scenes (Magi, Holy Family, Virgin Mary and archangels), they are given to Peruvian children at birth. The main craftsmen and artists are the Mendivil family, whose workshops are located in Cusco's Plaza San Blas. In the Ayacucho region, the same clay is used to carve little figures, which are then displayed in pretty, colorful boxes called retablos. These triptychs depict scenes from daily life (festivals and dances, bullfights, processions...). They come in all sizes and with varying degrees of detail, depending on the craftsman's skill, but some are simply stunning and of a rare quality. The reputation of these craftsmen is now international. These altarpieces are also sometimes a genuine means of expression, in an attempt to tell the story of the terrorist era, or of the difficult conditions of life today in the face of modernity, for example. Álvaro Delgado-Aparicio's beautiful film Mon père (2017) gives a good overview of this craft.
Another typical Andean object that recounts pre-Columbian times is the famous mate burilado. The tradition of engraving the calabash dates back to the time before ceramics (3,500 years ago, as evidenced by finds at Huaca Prieta in the Chicama valley). Practised with a punch in the Huancayo and Ayacucho regions, or with etching in the Chiclayo area, this art is the source of superb pieces reflecting Peru's history and traditions. The finest mates burilados come from Cochas, near Huancayo. Point by point, the scene is chiselled on the calabash, and one could spend hours reading about it here.
Finally, in Peru, you'll find some very fine carved wood mirrors and frames, gilded with gold leaf, in the baroque style of the churches. The prices are very affordable and the workmanship extremely fine. Mirrors from Cajamarca, for example, are adorned with floral motifs in the pure Venetian tradition. In the Amazon, kitchen utensils are available in palo de sangre or olive wood. These items are only available in Iquitos and at Lima's Mercado Indio.
Jewellery with a strong identity
We know that the Chavín were the first to work with gold (around 1000 BC), then the Mochica, Chimu and Lambayeque took over. In short, they became experts in the field. To be authentic, silver must bear the 925 hallmark. Other materials include onyx, turquoise, obsidian, opal and "spondylus", a shellfish once considered "the sacred food of the gods".
The best-known are the silver and gold jewels from Catacaos (Piura department), typical of the mixed art of the Costa Nord (gold filigree, a technique inherited from the Vicus culture). All the Andean regions work with silver, as does the very fine filigree. The marriage with precious stones is the country's signature.
In this vein, many craftsmen and travellers offer their work on the ground in tourist towns. More often than not, they work with pewter or copper wire, or even macramé, but some are well worth a look. In any case, they know how to add value to their work and are formidable in business. In Lima and Cusco, we see the emergence of small brands or, more often, multi-brand boutiques that have retained their know-how and modernized their jewelry to create light rings and other energizing grigris.
Chicha and other contemporary creations
Peru is also a highly creative country, which has succeeded in drawing new brands and mixes from its artisanal culture. It's not uncommon to come across traditional embroidered skirts mixed with denim in mini sizes, for example. A happy melting pot has also given rise to the chicha culture, which is now unavoidable. You can recognize it by the colorful, almost phosphorescent letters inspired by Andean colors, and its distinctive style. Born of concert posters of the same name (the famous chicha was born in Lima's suburban districts from the nostalgia of Andean emigrants), it is now emblazoned on tote bags, T-shirts and jackets, as are cultural symbols such as the Diablada dragons and other folk dance masks. This identity-based fashion is very much in vogue among young people, so it's not just for tourists. A visit to the Feria La Union in Barranco, for example, should give you an idea.
Finally, hats off to Breton-born Thomas Jacob's French project Pieta (projectpieta.com/fr), which produces urban fashion from Peruvian prisons with slogans in Spanish. They can be found in Lima's shopping malls, but also all over delivery.
