Peru is known for the quality and variety of its handicrafts produced largely by hand by men and women all over the country. Ayacucho is famous for the production of colourful, high quality crafts including ceramics, ‘retablos’ or altarpieces, filigree jewellery and woven textiles.
Most travellers to Peru don’t have time to visit Ayacucho and discover the crafts from this region. This is what inspired Diana Pomataylla to open her store and bring the best of Ayacucho to the Incan city of Cusco to share with travellers from all over the world!
Diana’s father Marcelino is an accomplished Ayacuchan weaver who began learning his trade over 50 years ago. He now runs a studio in Ayacucho where he works with local women creating traditional weavings with a modern touch and beautiful needlework fabrics that reflect the colourful clothing and character of the locals.
Three dimensional woven wall hangings with traditional symbols from the pre-Inca Wari culture including llamas and geometric patterns are created with modern colours for take home pieces just that little bit different from what you find in the markets. The colourful needle-work cushions, table runners, purses and belts are in a colonial style with brightly embroidered birds and flowers.
Diana also stocks some of Ayacucho’s finest and most well-known artists including the angel ceramic series by Señor Aristides and the vibrant tin candelabras created by Señor Araujo.
The colourful altarpieces or ‘retablos’ are also from Ayacucho and were originally brought into the country by the Spanish conquerors who liked to have small portable altars with them where they could worship their saints. The custom evolved and you can now find colourful wooden carved altarpieces representing typical elements of the culture including bull fights and local festivities.
While they specialise in handcrafts from the Ayacucho region thay have also recently added a lovely range of high quality baby alpaca shawls and scarves and a range of leather handbags with an alpaca fur trim which we haven’t seen anywhere else in Cusco.
This is a colourful store packed with high-quality, traditional handicrafts and is a nice place to stop if you want to get a feel for another part of Peru and are looking for some nice souvenirs to take home!
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- Pomataylla is located on Calle Triunfo in the interior patio just under Cicciolina restaurant but there is also another entrance on Calle Palacio just around the corner.
