Jewellery, Gold And Silver

PERU HAS BEEN, SINCE PRE-HISPANICTIMES, THE LAND OF MEN WHO HAD A MASTERY OF WORKING WITH METALS AND PRECIOUS STONES. THIS IS A RESULT OF CENTURIES OF TRADITION AND TECHNIQUES DEVELOPED BY CULTURES LIKE THE MOCHICA AND CHIMU, WHICH REACHED HIGHEST LEVELS OF SPECIALIZATION IN THIS ART.

Data:
-The main gold/silver work production centres are located in Piura, Lambayeque, Junin, Ayacucho and Lima.

PRE-HISPANIC RECORDS
In Peru, gold and silver pieces have been found that date from the ancient times such as from the Chavin culture (1500-500 B.C.), but the well known pieces are ascribed to pre-Incan cultures of the northern coast, like the Mochica, Chirrai, Vicus and Lambayeque. Most of these items were made with ceremonial and religious purposes. Many were found in the tombs of great figures of that time, like the Señor de Sipan - Lord of Sipan. Golden earflaps of the Mochica culture.

CATACAOS
The district of Catacaos in Piura stands out because of its exquisite jewellery making which includes necklaces, earrings, pendants and rings, which are in great demand. The dormilonas (sleepyheads) are very popular, golden and silver earrings which have a similar shape to the last quarter of the moon. Women usually wear them when they dance marinera. Little decorative objects like sculptures of villagers, Lidia bulls, fighting cocks and the Peruvian step horses are also made.
One of the most popularly used techniques by the artisans of Catacaos is called "filigrana de medio punto – filigree of half a stitch" (Like the left photo shows). In it, the metals are melted in a crucible and poured in a mould (ingot mould). Then, it is cooled off with sulphuric acid, it goes through the laminating machine and finally, through the spinning machine. The threads that produced are usually decorated with metal beads and little balls. In Catacaos, the workshops are family organizations and the technical knowledge is passed on from one generation to the next. Among the well known families are the Yarleque, Guaylupo, Cruz, Juarez and Ipanaque families who stand out. The artisans from Piura also work for well known jewellery companies abroad.

AYACUCHO
Since Colonial times, Ayacucho has stood out as one of the most outstanding centres of metal work in the country. Spanish artists, who got established in the city during the XVIII century, shared their techniques and experience with the local silversmiths. Because of this, a thriving silversmith school was created. Nowadays, Ayacucho stands out because of the work they do with filigree (granulated thread), a technique in which silver threads are used to make objects with a translucent appearance.
In this city as well, the metal workshops are usually family workshops and the knowledge is passed along from fathers to the children that are starting in this occupation between the age of 12 and 14. The workshops are located in the Plaza de Armas (Main Square) of Ayacucho to make the sale of the products easier. There are more practical objects, like smoking pillars or censers, baskets, breadbaskets, trays/plates, chests-jewellery boxes and desk accessories (letter openers and paper weights). There are also ornamental pieces and with religious motifs.

SILVERSMITHS FROM CUSCO
The inhabitants of the San Pablo district, in the Cuzco province of Canchis, are considered so specialized in work with silver, that the location is known as Plateros (Silversmiths). Its inhabitants say that they inherited the techniques from their Incan ancestors. Their traditional production consists of religious objects and practical ones of domestic use. The large amount of tourists has sparked the development in the last years other products destined to be sold as souvenirs. They also make jewellery. The best silversmiths from Cuzco nowadays start immigrating to other cities like Lima and Arequipa.

SAN JERONIMO OF TUNAN
During the first decades of the XX century, silversmiths from Ayacucho migrated to this nearby location of Huancayo and turned it into an important silversmith centre. The products are displayed at the Sunday fairs and stand out because of their perfect finishes and the constant innovations of their designs. The work takes place in the workshops which are inside the houses. Very little technology is used because the artists state that working with machinery elevates the cost of the production. They are also dedicated to agriculture.
San Geronimo of Tunan stands out because of its filigree, but their silversmiths also turn to other techniques, like the investment casting or lost wax process and the enamel. At the fairs, there are many ornamental products and religious motifs like crowns and tiaras with images of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus. They also make jewellery which includes earrings, brooches, pendants, rings and necklaces. They are usually small pieces with turquoise settings, green copper ore, lapis lazuli, onyx or quartz. Among the practical items, silverware, sugar bowls, tabacco pouches and key rings.

LAMBAYEQUE
The artisans of Lambayeque emulate the pieces of their ancestors of the Vicus, Mochica and Chimu cultures. They are concentrated in the Chiclayan districts of Jose Leonardo Ortiz, La Victoria and Monsefu, where they have their little workshops. Many artisans sell their products right there. Others give them in consignment to commercial shops. They are used to working with gold of 14 or 18 carats, silver and bronze. They also use precious and semi precious stones in some designs. The techniques they employ are many. Among the most frequent, is the gold or silver-plate, the brilliant silvery and the gold or silver-coating.

MUSEUMS
- The Gold and Weapons of the World Museum houses the special collection of Miguel Mujica Gallo; in it, pieces in gold and jewellery of

  pre-Hispanic cultures are exhibited in the mentioned collection. It is located on avenue Alonso de Molina 1100, Santiago de Surco

  (Lima).
- In the city of Lambayeque, 12 kilometres from Chiclayo, the Museum of Royal Tombs of Sipan is found. The address is: avenue Juan

  Pablo Vizcardo y Guzman s/n.

Web Pages:
- Silver Board of Peru www.patronatoplatadelperu.org/
- Innovation Technology Centres of Craftwork and Tourism of Peru www.arteturcites.com.pe/

THE CURRENT TABLES OF SARHUA ARE DAUGHTERS OF THE CEREMONIAL JOISTS THAT THE INHABITANTS OF SARHUA, SMALL TOWN OF AYACUCHO, USED IN THEIR HOMES. IN THEM, THE ARTISTS IMMORTALIZED RELIGIOUS SCENES, EVERY DAY LIFE OF THE VILLAGE AND OF THE HOUSE OWNERS. NOWADAYS, THE SIZE OF THE TABLES HAVE BEEN REDUCED FOR COMMERCIAL REASONS, BUT KEEP THEIR VIGOUR, COLOUR, AND SENSIBILITY.

Data:
- The district of Sarhua is located in the province of Victor Fajardo, Ayacucho.
- The oldest joist which is kept dates from 1876. It is found in Sarhua and it is 2, 8 metres tall.

ORIGIN
The ethnologist Emilio Mendizabal Losack states that the tables of Sarhua record date back to the time of the Incas. During that time, the qellcay existed, wooden surfaces that were painted to preserve in them the administrative reports and the Incan triumphs. After the Conquest, the qellcay customs were kept alive and other pictorial expressions took place. In Sarhua, a peculiar style to work them was adopted, which merges rural scenes and religious motifs, like Saint Juan Bautista and the Virgin of the Asuncion.

SPREADING
In some rural communities of the country, it is still a custom that the town helps the newlyweds with the construction of their home.
In Sarhua, until about the middle of the XX century, the local community members give them beams and tables previously decorated with motifs regarding the couple and their family. Some artisans extracted fragments of these beams which reproduced local customs scenes, which contributed in the spreading of this art. A new evolution would be produced since the decade of 1980, when many artisans of Sarhua migrated to large cities. Then, they started to include urban scenes in their tables.

DAILY ILLUSTRATIONS
The traditional tables are read from the bottom to the top. They start with a dedication placed on the lower part (signed by the *godfather or close friend* and his two witnesses), followed by the images of the Virgin of the Asuncion. On the top part, you can find a drawing of the Apus, gods of the mountains, the sun and the moon. The table of Sarhua opens and closes its reading with mythical and religious motifs. In the middle, it is usually illustrated agriculture activities, religious feasts, myths and legends, as well as daily scenes of real couples with instruments to be identified for their occupation. They also painted the family trees and the relative relationships. Although they are very colourful, the drawing of the tables lack shadows and volume. The background is white, but the lack of perspective, cultural reality, fear of empty spaces or saturation of images still persists, characteristic of the pre-Hispanic art culture, and the simultaneous perspectives. Formerly, the tables were divided into sections which were linked to each other. Nowadays, they only have one scene.

ELABORATION
The tables are covered with a putty of white soil or plaster. With the hand or a putty knife, the artisan tries to distribute the dough evenly. Then, they are left to dry for three days. To paint it, they used to use the muki, coloured soil which has different tonalities. Nowadays, coloured dyes or pigments are used which are applied with brushes.
The traditional beams use to measure no less than 2, 5 metres long by 30 centimetres wide. It is a good measure to build a house, but not to commercialize a piece of art. Nowadays, they are produced in smaller sizes. In Lima, pieces of 1,60 metres by 16 centimetres; 80 by 40 centimetres or even 30 by 30 centimetres are sold. The traditional table is of alder, but in Lima, they usually use cedar wood.

THE TOWN OF SARHUA
Sarhua is located at 125 kilometres to the south of the capital of Ayacucho. In the city, at six in the morning, you can find transportation for a maximum of eight people. But it is not a regular service. The cars arrive first to Pomabamba, province of Pampa Cangallo. The trip continues through mountains and slopes as far as Tinkoq, were the rivers Pampas and Qaracha meet. There you can find a bridge that welcomes you to Sarhua. Besides the tables, the people of Sarhua carve canes or walking sticks and make clothing with sheep’s wool that they shear, wash, thread, dye and knit in handmade looms.

The Carvings On Wood

THE PERUVIAN ARTISTS HAVE NOT WASTED ANY ARTISTIC POSSIBILITY THAT WOOD OFFERS. DURING THE COLONIAL PERIOD, MASTER PIECES WERE PRODUCED INSPIRED IN RELIGIOUS MOTIFS AND THAT ARE EXHIBITED IN CHURCHES AROUND THE COUNTRY. AFTERWARDS, MORE DECORATION AND PRACTICAL PIECES WERE CREATED.

Data:
- According to the Foreign Trade and Tourism Office, approximately

  5% of the handcraft workshops of Peru are dedicated to work on

  wood.
- The main production centres are located in Ayacucho, Junin and

  Cajamarca.

HISTORY
The first artistic manifestations made on wood appeared during the pre-Hispanic times, through sculptures and relief. In the sanctuary of Pachacamac, to the south of Lima, a wooden carving of a cob of eight rows that dates from approximately 400 A.D. was found. The Chancay culture (1200-1400 A.D.) created long bars and “horcones de huarango” with human figures, which apparently were not considered ceremonial poles. During the Colonial period, religious art pieces in cedar were influenced by Spanish design and polychrome style. Two examples of this art can be found in the Cathedral of Lima(Photo above) and in the church of Saint Blas (right photo), in the city of Cusco.

EXPRESSIONS OF THE JUNGLE
For the inhabitants of the Amazon, wood is an essential raw material. With it, they build houses, canoes, oars and many other objects. The canoes are usually made of catahua, cedar, mahogany, lupuna or ishpingo wood. The espintana, on the other hand, is usually used in the production of cerbatanas (like a pea shooter). To make fruit bowls and other practical and decorative objects, they usually use wood of palo santo or palo sangre. The shipibos, who live in the jungle of Loreto, work the wood for traditional and commercial purposes. An example of the better known pieces are the wooden sculptures of human figures in balsa wood, with cylindrical bodies and decorated with geometrical figures. They also carve statues of men and women with disproportionate genitals and long noses. These pieces are usually not for sale; but, they are commercialized, for decoration purposes, canoes, arches and arrows replicas.

AYACUCHO
The carving artisans of Ayacucho design practical and decorative products. They carve teaspoons, forks, canes or walking sticks, stoves to thread wool or cotton, crucifixes, human and animal figures, mirror and picture frames. Some stick on carved flowers decorations, small buttons and geometrical figures. The products are commercialized in local fairs of Ayacucho –like the Sunday fair at Sucre park- and handcraft stores. They are also offered in special dates, like Holy Week, when the city is filled with visitors.
The raw material of these pieces is usually wood that comes from the highlands of Quinua.

OTHER PLACES
The main churches altars of Jauja Apata (coated with gold leaf) are two examples of the mastery that the carving artisans of Junin reached. In the town of Molinos, located in the province of Jauja, decorative pieces are made nowadays. The carving of real and fictitious animals is common. They also produce toys coloured with dyes, like acrobats with movable arms. In Cajamarca, religious objects carved in wood of great beauty, which date from the XVII to XIX, can be appreciated. Sculptures of golden and polychrome wood stand out, like tabernacles, relief, Calvarias, altarpieces, crucifixes and urns for relics. They are found in the Cathedral, the church of the Sagrario (Tabernacle), the monumental site of San Francisco and the monastery of the Concepcion (Conception). In the city and surrounding areas, there are workshops that produce all kinds of furniture and musical instruments like cajones (box drum), quenas, violins and guitars.

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