Hand Painted Cuzco Decorative Plate, "Ancient Spider"

The Huaman Paucar Family has been featured in the Daily Breeze newspaper, in Southern California.

"My wife and I hail from the capital of the Inca Empire, situated deep in the Peruvian Andes. We dress our jars and decorative plates in beautiful designs from ancient Peru. Each carries the powerful, elemental mystery of water and earth.

"Our family's journey in the ceramic arts has been influenced by the customs and lifestyles of my village, a village of ceramic artisans.

"When Ubaldina was young, she attended obligatory classes at the the Artisan School of Pisac. This knowledge of hers inspired us," continues Gerardo, "and awoke in us a passion for ceramic art, a passion that our three grown children share with us. Our production is prolific and varied; we make keros, aríbalos, plates, vases, jars and other decorative objects, all with diverse Incan motifs.

"Our work is meticulous, and we put forth much effort in the finishing touches – that is the quality that identifies us. In our home-based workshop we also teach other ceramists in our tradition, and many have stayed to work with us.

"Our clay pieces are molded both on an old-fashioned potter's wheel and by hand. Later they are fired in a brick oven that reaches a temperature of 800º to 900º Celsius. After this, we decorate them using varied tones of paints and pigments. In our artesanía we represent the history and customs of our village and its religious beliefs."