Poteries de Guaitil au Costa Rica Guaitil – A Costa Rican village with multiple stakes They even say that shamans bless the pottery. Quetzals, toucans, tropical birds, arabesques, all dressed in black, white and red, decorate these hundreds of art pieces of ochre or black color. Plates, pots, dishes, jars, figurines of Costa Rican fauna are together on the shelves of the shop. I go back in time and find my grandmother He does not even plan to practice this profession elsewhere than in this workshop in Guaitil. She is there, close by, looking at him, guiding him and protecting him in his creations. He entrusts us that when he kneads the clay or paints his pottery, he finds his ancestor. Working with ceramics is like a travel through time. Through his pottery, he perpetuates the wealth of his ancestors. As far as he is concerned, exercising this profession goes beyond satisfying a passion. He remembers very well about having to learn everything from his grandmother, at the age of 11. This man has always lived in this typical village, populated by natives. He is sitting in front of his potter’s wheel. Where does this passion and know-how come from? Johnny Sanchez Grijalva, a chorotega craftsman in Guaitil explains to us. Clay is also used to make tiles for house roofs.Ĭonnection to Chorotegas through ancestral know-how.It only breaks if it is in direct contact with fire. A container cooked at low temperature is stronger.Sponges and brushes are guided by precise fingers to form totemic animal drawings.Īll this process makes Guaitil pottery and these pieces absolutely unique. Then, the decorative motifs are traced on the partially dry ceramic using entirely natural materials. The pottery is then wrapped in wood fuel, hence the black deposits. The cooking takes place outdoors at low temperatures in a traditional dome-shaped oven called “borno”. Indigenous artisans polish their works with “zukias or sukias”, stones used as grindstones. The clay is then turned to create the sculpture itself. Then, like a pie dough, it is kneaded and rolled until it can be modeled. Then, as tradition dictates, with shovels and precise gestures, it is incorporated into the water and trampled on by the potter. Shelled with a solid wood mortar and filtered through a sieve (canvas), the clay is then mixed with sand called “iguana sand”. The craftsmen load it on a wagon pulled by oxen, in accordance with ancestral methods, and bring it back to the village of Guaitil. Chorotegas collect clay in the surrounding Costa Rican mountains, those of San Vicente de Nicoya, more precisely. Today, most tourist objects are decorated with chemical paints and coated with varnish for a better shine. We will even share the local trade secrets of the Costa Rican coffee plantations.Les poteries de Guaitil au Costa Rica fabriquées à la main Guaitil pottery – Materials from San Vicente de NicoyaĬhorotega pottery uses only local materials. You will learn the selection process, the roasting of the beans and drying the grounds. This tour will cover the harvesting of the coffee berries, extracting the beans from the fruit and more. There you will learn everything you need to know about the whole process of growing coffee. We will also take you to a beautiful area in our countryside, home to a famous traditional Costa Rican coffee plantation. These indigenous people of Central America once lived with the Mayans and Aztecs but moved south as a measure of self-preservation.įamous for handcrafting beautiful clay pottery, the Chorotegas apply the same materials, colors and techniques that have been passed down from their ancestors from hundreds of years ago. We will visit the town of “Guaitil” which is the best place to experience the welcoming descendants of the Chorotegas. On this trip we will visit a Costa Rican coffee plantation and processing plant, PLUS a traditional pottery town famous for its locally crafted clay pottery!
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