Chulucanas Ceramics

Chulucanas is a small town in northern Peru. The ceramics produced in this town utilize a unique method of “blackening” which is based on techniques from the Moche and Vicus civilizations that have been passed down for generations.

Each piece is created by the artisan on a potter's wheel and fired at high temperatures in a kiln. The next step is the decoration. For colored pieces, the artist first paints the entire piece the desired color. Liquid clay is used to cover the parts that will remain the same and the parts left uncovered are the parts that will darken. Each piece is then baked in an oven using mango leaves. The soot from the leaves dyes the unpainted portions of the piece black and also creates a resin that sticks to the ceramic and gives it the characteristic shine of Chulucanas style pottery. The pieces are then cleaned and set in the sun to dry. Finally, each piece is polished with a stone for a shiny surface. These ceramics are for decorative use only and are not watertight.

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