The handcraft
The peruvian handcraft
The peruvian handcraft is full of beautiful things at very low
prices. Generally, you will find everything everywhere; although, the list hereby
will show you where to find the most beautiful souvenirs (most of the time in
Cuzco).
- Leather articles in Lima
- Brooches to fix the shawls (tupus) made in silver or plated metal, sometimes very elaborated in Cuzco
- Embroideries on cushions in Puno and Lima
- Gourds engraved and painted around Cuzco.
- Pottery, miniature typical churches made of argil (iglesitas de barro), etc. in Cuzco
- Hats made of wove straw or felt in Cuzco
- Candles, colored and with geometric or floral motifs around Cuzco and Lima
- Blankets made of lama or alpaca in Cuzco and Lima
- Cribs (retablos). Little figures contained
in a wooden box with painted windows. From a religious origin, their primary
objective has been changed; they are now pagan and pragmatic invocations. To be bought in Cuzco
- Stirrups in silver or plated metal in Lima
- Painted images made of a pastry based on
wheat and rice flour mashed potatoes and plaster) in Cuzco
- Toys made of alpaca in Cuzco and Lima
- Masks (carnival masks) in Puno
- Mirrors with colonial style wooden and golden plated frames in Lima and Cuzco
- Objects with gold watermarks (jewellry, caskets
and jewellry boxes, cigarette cases, etc.) around Cuzco and Lima
- Sculpted Objects of alabaster around Cuzco
- Pisco (raisin brandy) in... Pisco
- Ponchos a kind of cloak made of alpaca or sheep wool in Cuzco
- Pullovers, Peruvian wool hats (chullos) made of alpaca, the most beautiful are in Cuzco
- Carpets with geometric, floral or typical motifs around Cuzco
- Materials in Cusco
Recommendations
- It is possible to barter things in some typical markets.
- Don't hurry up to buy everything in Lima, during the tours and excursions
you will be able to find more beautiful handcrafts and cheaper.
- If you would like to buy silver objects, check the hallmark underneath it:
the number 9.25 has to be on it; for the ones in gold the mark is 18K.
- A system among others to know if a pottery is old: rub it beneath with a
coin; if it remains intact, then it's old.
- Don't forget that ancient objects are part of the Peruvian patrimony; their
purchase is legal, the forgery is omnipresent but leaving the territory with
then is forbidden.
- If you buy a copy of an ancient pottery, do not throw away the receipt.
At the airport someone may eventually ask you to see it to justify the reproduction.
