Kichwa Potters of Jatun Molino - page 3
The following images are from the Kichwa villages of Jatun Molino and
Sarayacu in the Amazonian basin of Ecuador.
All photos (c) 1994 Richard Burkett
Note that some shift in color may occur in translating these
to your type of computer and monitor. They will probably look
best on a high resolution color monitor set to millions of colors.
Click any image to enlarge it slightly.
A small jar from the neighboring village of Sarayacu. The face added to the side of this jar is typical. The linear patterns are similar to facial painting which is popular with some of the Kichwa.
A young girl in Sarayacu shows a good example of the beautiful facial painting. This is done with a vegetable dye using brushes like those used for decorating the pottery. The painting is not permanent and must be redone every few weeks.
Chicha, a beer made from yuca (manioc) is a staple of the local diet. It is always served in mucawas, the drinking bowls which come in many sizes from small to huge.
Joe Molinaro drinking chicha. Chicha drinking is often a social occasion much like having tea is in other cultures.
Chicha is made by first boiling the yuca roots to remove toxins. These are then mashed by pounding them with a wooden mallet. The mash is then chewed and spit back out which starts the fermentation process. The large pottery jars in the backround are the fermentation jars. The tops are sealed with banana leaves while the chicha ferments.
Chicha is pounded and mashed in large wooden bowls. This scene is typical of a Kichwa household.
