Home / 2018 Ecuador with Sonam 511
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Leather art - DSC04082
Cotacachi is known as the leather capital of Ecuador. There was a saddlery exhibit, including a wooden saddle form, wooden stirrup forms, a leather press, a hand-operated sewing machine, metal tools, and carved wooden designs (in inverse) be stamped onto the leather with a wooden paddle. There was leather art (including an image of a Russian Orthodox church) as well as some vintage leather suitcases. - DSC04086
Carved wooden designs (in inverse) be stamped onto the leather with a wooden paddle - DSC04088
Carved wooden designs (in inverse) be stamped onto the leather with a wooden paddle - DSC04089
Carved wooden designs (in inverse) be stamped onto the leather with a wooden paddle - DSC04090
Carved wooden designs (in inverse) be stamped onto the leather with a wooden paddle - DSC04095
Vintage leather suitcases - DSC04100
Next was an exhibit on silverwork, a trade which dates back to the 19th century in Cotacachi. There were anvils, mallets, a crucible, and a huge set of bellows. There were molds into which the silver was cast in the shapes of horseshoes, crosses, and statues. - DSC04102
Silver molds - DSC04107
Examples of metalwork were displayed in a glass case, including practical items like utensils, Catholic-influenced items like rosaries, and adornments such as jewelry. One of my favorite pieces was an anthropomorphic Inti (sun) pendant. - DSC04112
Silver Incan figures - DSC04122
The ceramics exhibit included the 3 types of earth mixed together by by foot for to produce the clay. Ceramic items included chicha jugs, serving dishes, and pots for toasting grains and tortillas. - DSC04134
Craig and Sonam looking at a map - DSC04143
There were various spondylus shells in a display case. These colorful mollusk shells were quite valuable in pre-Columbian times, and their use in the region dates back to 4200-2500 BC. They were used in rituals as offerings and were buried with the dead, and they were also used as currency. There were tools made from obsidian, which must have been plentiful in pre-Columbian times due to the volcanic activity of the region. Other stone tools were on display, including the type of grinding stone that Rosa still uses to this day for corn, despite owning an electric blender. It is humbling to see these kinds of cultural connections. and we hope that the Kichwa people never fully assimilate to the majority culture. - DSC04152
Letters on an antique printing press