By Campbell Plowden | Executive Director & Project Leader
The idea for creating Christmas tree ornaments with our artisan partners along the Ampiyacu River came by observing that some made a knick-knack holder by weaving chambira palm fiber around a grapefruit-sized calabash tree pod – locally called a “tutuma.” They made the first ornaments by adapting the technique to an egg-shaped pod and attaching a chord to it. Other artisans had etched figures of wildlife and geometric patterns onto walnut-colored tutuma maracas so ornaments could be made on smaller pods without a handle. Both types could double as hand rattles by adding achira seeds to cleaned pods before sealing them.
We encouraged both Bora and Huitoto artisans in Puca Urquillo to try making ornaments in 2011 as a new line of crafts distinct from woven items being made by our original partners in Brillo Nuevo. After one Christmas season, the results were clear. We had quickly sold all of the tutuma rattle ornaments etched with jaguars, toucans, and other jungle critters. The woven chambira ornaments were well made, but would not add as interesting a touch to a holiday tree.
When I next met with the women artisans in Puca Urquillo, I expected they would be happy to hear that one of our first products was very successful and that we wanted to order a lot more etched tutuma ornaments for the following Christmas. I was not prepared for a prolonged awkward silence. Elsa finally spoke up – “we know how to weave, but only a few men know how to carve the tutumas. My husband made all of the ones you got from me last year.”
Over the next year, about eight Huitoto women tried to make the more popular tutuma ornaments. When I returned to their village, they gathered in a circle in the group leader’s home with a pile of their first efforts in front of them. I sat in the center and inspected every ornament from every artisan in turn. A few tutumas were good, but many had a crudely etched figure of a bird with the background scraped away. Some made great hand rattles, but many contained too few seeds inside to make a good sound when shaked. I praised all of the artisans for their efforts, bought the best ones, asked them to fix ones that could be improved, and explained why some were not good enough to sell.
Giving this honest feedback can be agonizing. Some artisans got discouraged and gave up right away. Fortunately others kept trying and made better and better looking critters. There is no doubt, though, that the Bora artisan Rider Velasquez is still the master tutuma maker. Each one of his tutumas portrays a realistic or creative vision of rainforest life – a jaguar stalking a paca, a hummingbird poking its bill into a tubular flower, or a giant paiche fish against a stylized sunset. Our challenge is figuring out how to facilitate him sharing some of his artistry with the other artisans.
In the past few years, we have also worked with artisans in other communities in northern Peru to design their own ornaments. Dora and her family from Jenaro Herrera on the Ucayali River wove multi-colored chambira fiber into miniature plates, pots, stars, dragonflies, butterflies and bees. Lesli from the Maijuna village of Sucusari wove a beautiful rainbow colored snail. Yermeth from the campesino village of Chino on the Tahuayo River wove frog ornaments whose huayruru seed eyes imbued each one with personality. These frogs became so popular that a dozen other artisans from her cooperative are now making them as well.
Sharing the success of these novel ornaments with the Ampiyacu artisans has inspired them to come up with their own clever designs. Cherly from Pucu Urquillo wove an armadillo, squirrel and monkey. Deusebio from Santa Lucia de Pro wove a black caiman and pink river dolphin. Lucia and her ten-year old son José have carved balsa wood into agoutis and pacas (two medium-size Amazon rodents) and used a fire-heated wire to add expressive facial features and stripes. They carved turtle and armadillo bodies from balsa wood and attached shells made from small curved pieces of calabash pod. Teenager Kiary carved and painted balsa wood into parrot, anteater and tapir figures. This past summer, we commissioned this young carver to make prototypes of basset hound ornaments for a small business in State College, PA that sells puppies of this friendly breed. Not surprisingly, his parents Lucio and Ania are also talented artisans. Lucio makes great etched tutumas and wove contrasting babaca and bonbojaje around a balsa core to make a miniature rainstick. Ania told us, “I am very happy that our family can make more money selling handicrafts to CACE. We can now pay for Kiary to go a better school, and he is learning a good skill to earn income for himself.”
In the past two years, we have sold just over 400 ornaments – mostly at craft fairs and one local Christmas tree farm that displays our ornaments in their gift shop. We are on pace to sell several hundred more this year with one new Christmas tree seller alone buying 98 ornaments for his shop. It seems very fitting that more people are buying ornaments made by native families from the Amazon that truly reflect the spirit of the holiday. We would welcome receiving any ideas or contacts you have that could help us expand this market.
Thank you very much for your support for our project with best wishes for your holiday and the New Year.
Campbell Plowden
Executive Director and Project Leader
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