Posted 8 years ago
ho2cultcha
(5051 items)
I picked up this at the Laney College flea market yesterday. I think it's from Tonala, but not certain. i wonder if there is an actual name for this type of pottery - low-fired, slip-glazed, and not burnished. This piece is 13 inches tall and 8 inches wide. there are a couple of small broken/missing pieces and i have a bunch of pieces to glue on. i think it should be expected since the piece is so large and low-fired.
It's from Peru, most likely from the village of Quinua, in Ayachcho, which is famous for its pottery churches.
thank you CanyonRoad. i didn't know that, but now it looks very familiar.
This one isn't as common as the ones with two tall bell towers. The capital of Ayacucho (that's a typo in comment 1) is famous for its churches and as the center of Peruvian folk art. The pottery churches represent actual churches in the area, and you will see these little sculptures on top of homes, and are thought to provide protection to the house and inhabitants.
There is also a little pottery bull figure (sometimes two bulls together) that is a famous souvenir item from this area of Peru. Traditionally the pottery has always been made with the local red and cream clays, but recently some is being painted with a range of colors.