mates burilados - painting with fire

Peru is a land of artesania and handcrafts.  I don’t know the validity of the statement but I read today that nearly 50% of Peruvians earn at least some income through the sale of handcrafts.  When you look at the vast variety of Peruvian crafts and the sheer multitude of artisan puestos (small booths that sell handcrafts in area markets for both tourists and locals) the idea of a large percentage of Peruvians being at least partially involved with handcraft sales doesn’t seem so surprising.

This concept was illustrated for Alison and me on a recent trip to Huancayo, Peru.  Near Huancayo we visited the small town of Cochas Chico which is a community made up mostly of artisans dedicated to the art of mates burilados or gourd art.  Mates burilados is the art of decorating gourds through etching, burning, and painting.  The art in this community has dated back through many generations and has a Peruvian history reaching into the thousands of years.

A variety of gourd art is represented here.

Cochas Chico is a small village set in the mountains. Alison and I enjoyed seeing this area of Peru that is so set aside from the fast paced, crowded, and polluted Lima that we are accustomed to. Our visit one afternoon went into the evening and we were able to see the brilliantly lit starry sky that has been a rare view during our time in Peru.  A highlight of the trip for Simon and me was a trip to parque de mates burilados, a park dedicated to the art of gourd design.  It was clear that this park, so remotely located, was a source of community pride.

A photo within the park which includes the surrounding hillside.

Giant statues of carved gourds filled the park which was connected with a wooden elevated walkway made of what looked like trees, branches, and vines.

Simon particularly liked the "two owls" and repeated the phrase over and over.  "Owls" and "two" are some of his favorite things!

Simon and I did a self take on the bridge that leads to the giant bird/gourd in the background.

While in Cochas Chico, we vistied Alejandro Hurtado.  He comes from a family of gourd artisans. Both of his brothers also live in Cochas Chico and have their own workshops dedicated to mates burilados.  They help each other out when they have big orders.  

Alejandro's father died when he was 3 years old.  Three months later his mother remarried but left him and his brothers and sisters alone.  The oldest brother, Emilio, was 13 at the time and it became his job to look after his brothers and sister.  Emilio was the oldest and Alejandro the youngest.

As a young child Alejandro had to work in the fields to help support himself and the family. However by the time he was 8 he was skilled in mate burilado.  His older brother Emilio learned the trade working in another workshop, mostly paid with meals, and taught it to his siblings.  His mother had also worked with gourds and gourds were his toys growing up as a child.  Alejandro worked in other people's workshops making gourds for over 15 years.  In 1984 he opened his own workshop.  He entered a contest in 1997 and his art won first place.  Because of that, he started to win new contacts and orders.

Now he and his wife Victoria have a successful workshop.  They have faced challenges over the years.  They took a huge step backwards during the terrorism years that impacted all of Peru in the 1990's.  They had to work in the fields for several years until 1995 to make ends meet.  But now they are content with their work as gourd artisans.  Alejandro and Victoria joke that they represent compromise and peace because she comes from Cochas Grande, another town dedicated to the art of mates burilado that is at times seen as a rival.  They are proud to produce excellent gourds representing these two towns working together.

It was wonderful being in the countryside.  Victoria introduced Simon to two of her lambs.

The process of decorating the gourds is fascinating.  Painting with fire, as Alison describes it, is an apt description of how the gourds are decorated.  Most artists first etch a design on the gourd with pencil.  They then use a carving tool to etch the design into the gourd.  However, in one case we did see an artisan who carved freehand without first drawing the design with pencil.  The next step is to burn color into the gourd.  Based on the intensity of the heat, the gourds which aren't actually painted with bright colors, will be varying shades of brown or black.

Alejandro shows his warehouse of gourds.  Different gourds come from varying regions of Peru and serve as the base of different pieces.

Cats keep an eye on the gourds and protect them from pests.

Some gourds are colored before the design phase begins.  These gourds of red and green often are made into Christmas ornaments.

Victoria skillfully carves a design into a gourd which when completed will serve as a birdhouse.

Varying shades of brown and black are burnt into the gourd using a precise and concentrated flame.  Alejandro kept a steady hand and used the flame as a paintbrush to achieve these designs.  A more tradional method of burning the design is to pull a pointed stick from a fire and use the burning coal to paint the design.  By blowing on the coal the artisan can control the level of heat that passes to the gourd.  We saw this method demonstrated as well but the tool above works with much greater efficiency.

Alejandro and Victoria pose with their items in varying stages of production.

Carved gourds have long been a popular item we carry at Global Gifts.  I am glad I had the chance to visit Cochas Chico and see the process and meet the people behind this art.