Handmade in Peru

Our collection of Fair Trade products and gifts from Peru consists of traditional Peruvian crafts such as pottery and gourd art, lots of lovely holiday decor and handcrafts made with alpaca and vicuna wool.

The products people look for from Peru are most often the Chulucanas ceramics. Chulucanas is a town in the Piura Region of Peru that has been famous for producing stunning ceramic pieces since pre-Inca times. The natural resources around Chulucanas lead to an abundance of the raw materials needed to produce such high quality pottery. Peruvian artisans have also earned quite the reputation for their use of gourds as canvas for incredible artwork. Artisans use a nail to create delicate and lifelike etchings into sustainable gourds. The gourds are then either hand painted or burned with a blowtorch for color.

Many of our Christmas nativities come to us from Peru, their Catholicism a byproduct of European colonization. It is fascinating to see that same famous creche scene portrayed in numerous and wildly varying depictions by artisan groups all over Peru. From seeing the manger scene portrayed on a bus, to seeing the three wise men arriving to greet the Holy infant on the backs of llamas, we can guarantee you will see nativity scenes in scenarios you may have never imagined.

Much of our luxurious knit apparel comes to us from Peru and its neighbor Bolivia, where alpaca wool (the softest of the soft) is turned into cozy mittens, scarves and gloves to please even the most sensitive skin. We also carry an adorable ornament featuring the national animal of Peru- the independent and irresistible vicuna.

So peruse and enjoy our Peru collection, and remember that every purchase made helps the artisans support themselves and their families. Gracias para todo!