Peruvian Gifts Feature Distinctive Folk Art

Peru is famous for beautiful handicrafts, which for many Peruvians are their sole source of cash income. Fair Trade practices are deeply important to Peruvian artists and artisans. Here we offer suggestions for well-designed and well-crafted Fair Trade Peruvian gifts.

What a fascinating country, Peru! It's the third largest in South America, with terrain ranging from dry coastal plain, to the awesome Andes mountains and valleys, to tropical forest. No country in the world has a greater number of distinct climates.

Peru has South America's highest percentage of indigenous peoples, whose complex civilization in Peru dates back 5000 years. Ancient Peruvians introduced terraced farming in the mountains, which was perfected by the Incas in the 15th-16th centuries. Inca cities boasted masterful stonework, and their irrigation and extensive road systems are still in use today.

When the Spanish came to stay, they brought great destruction - but they also introduced new language, religious and cultural traditions that find artistic expression in many Peruvian gifts.

Peru is a great source for milestone anniversary gifts! You'll find wooden gifts for 5th (traditional) and 6th (modern) anniversaries; and leather gifts for 3rd (traditional) and 10th (modern). For any occasion, your recipients will admire the fine craftsmanship in these beautiful Peruvian gifts!

• A cedar serving tray with embossed leather inset is a thoughtful gift for recipients who love to entertain.



• For the bride and groom-to-be, a cedar hope chest covered with magnificently worked leather is an elegant engagement gift.



• With 8 drawers/compartments, this jewelry box might be large enough for an anniversary couple to share.



• A handsome leather ottoman does double duty - the padded seat lifts off to reveal a handy storage box. Another great gift for a guy who needs to put up his feet and relax.



• Choose a leather-on-cedar magazine rack for your 3rd or 10th anniversary couple to share. This one, made by the "principal furniture maker at Peru's Presidential Palace," adds a lovely touch of color.



• For any occasion, a 3-piece set of nesting tables are handsome and useful Peruvian gifts. Made of hand-tooled leather on cedar, the tables feature intricate pre-Inca designs.



• Consider this unusual leather mirror to grace your recipient's front entry hall. Thirty customer reviews attest to the artistry of its creator! Here are more leather mirrors.



• Find more suggestions for Peruvian gifts of wood in "Wood relief panels" and "Collectibles," below.

Archeologists have found Peruvian textiles dating back 4000 years. The ancient designs have a spiritual dimension that honors the people's connections to Mother Earth (Pachamama) and the natural world. Today, Andean villages still retain their unique weaving techniques and patterns.

Wool (sheep, llama, vicuna, and especially alpaca), and sometimes cotton or a wool-cotton blend, are used to weave Peruvian gifts of clothing, bags and backpacks, household textiles, and tapestries:

• A soft and luxurious alpaca poncho featuring Inca motifs. The radiant red "Andean Sunrise" reverses to violet, making this a lovely 2-in-1 gift for a woman.



• NOVICA offers hand woven table linens from Peru in colorful patterns. A table runner or a set of placemats or coasters is an attractive and useful housewarming gift. Or, your recipient might prefer a pair of cushion covers in geometric Inca patterns.



• Peruvian gifts of hand loomed tapestries, like this scene with llamas, capture the flavor of Andean life... a thoughtful gift for a guy. Find more Peruvian tapestries among the "Wall Decor/Tapestries" below.



• Area rugs from Peru - all are 100% wool with cotton warp, designed for floor use. "Hypnotic Land" features cultural symbols and soft earth colors. Deeper reds and browns highlight this nice long runner called "Diamond Community." And "Tulips" is stunning in color and symmetry.

• Jewelry - Beginning alphabetically with pretty bracelets, Peruvian jewelry is creatively designed and beautifully made, in styles both traditional and contemporary.

  Materials include gemstones, ceramic, silver filigree and more. Hand carved from mate gourd, this intricate earrings/pendant set is a beautiful example of Peruvian folk art.




• Chullo hats with toasty hanging ear flaps, are gaining popularity in the US. Here's one called "Blue Moods," and here are more winter hats from Peru - find scarves and gloves in their drop down menu. I love the colors in the alpaca/acrylic scarf called "Andean Sun."



• Handbags and Travel Bags are smart and useful Peruvian gifts. Here's a colorful woven wool bag with a leather shoulder strap, cotton lining and zipper pocket. NOVICA also offers leather and suede bags, and combo leather/wool bags like this handsome laptop case.

In the historic Inca capital of Cusco (often spelled Cuzco), more than 2500 artisans are producing ceramic Peruvian gifts and keeping alive pre-Hispanic era techniques. In north coastal Peru, the town of Chulucanas is especially famous for its black and white pottery.

• Six small Cusco vases are pretty as place decorations or arranged in a row down the center of a table runner.



• A black-and-white Chulucanas vase is a handsome accessory with any color scheme.



• "Ancient Masks" encircle this beautiful centerpiece bowl. Click on "Larger Picture" to view the inside of the bowl. A smart birthday gift for Mom (...hint, hint!).



• "The Flower Lady" figurine is an endearing Peruvian gift, with her arms full of calla lilies.



• A painted ceramic mother and child figurine is just right for a Mothers Day gift.



• "The Little Bull" statuette exemplifies a charming Spanish influence on the Ayacucho style of Peruvian gifts. A colorful horse statuette is also offered.



• This unusual chess set from Global Exchange (a Fair Trade merchant) features ceramic Incas vs. Spaniards. Edged with Inca designs, the board folds to a storage box. A showpiece of a Fathers Day gift.

Paintings - NOVICA, in association with National Geographic, offers hundreds of original paintings by Andean artists. Classified by style, beginning with "abstract," you can view other styles in the drop-down menu. Here are a few of our favorite Peruvian gifts on canvas:

• "Remembering You" lends a pre-Hispanic aura to a timeless subject - a perfect gift for Valentine's Day or a charming anniversary gift.



• The "Regal Bird" is the Andean condor, mythological ruler of the upper world. This colorful, stylized painting (oil on jute) is a regal Peruvian gift indeed.



• Inspired by the Moche culture, "Earthenware Jars" depicts a group of masks & jars that provide the deceased with serene companionship (masks) and sustenance (jars) in the afterlife.



• "Boats in Perspective II" reminds us that Peru has seacoast as well as mountains. The play of light on boats and water is especially appealing in this striking nautical gift from Peru.

Wool tapestries


Peruvian textile artistry is unsurpassed, and NOVICA offers hundreds of beautifully hand woven tapestries and wall hangings. Categories begin with animal motifs, and you can view others in the drop down menu.



Four suggestions:

• "Inca Warmth" presents an eye-catching arrangement of Inca symbols in bright reds and oranges.



• "The Florists," is a colorful gift for gardener by the Cardenas brothers. Their finely detailed work is described by one reviewer as "drop dead gorgeous."



• "On the Way to the Fair" follows a group of women along a mountain path, with pots of food and drink strapped to their backs.



• As a gift for a child, the "Young Girl from Altiplano" is like introducing a new friend.

Mirrors are Peruvian gifts of such variety that one is sure to please your recipient. Mirror categories begin with "Folk Art," and others are found in the drop-down menu. For example:

• A pretty reverse painted glass mirror, entitled "Bluebells in Snow."



• A natural onyx-framed mirror, crafted using a technique similar to that of stained glass.

Wood relief panels - Cedar panels from NOVICA are beautifully hand carved and colored. You'll find scenes of life in the Andes plus an extensive selection of Biblical figures and vignettes that would make very nice religious gifts. We particularly like:

• "Loving Mother Mary" conveys a sense of warmth and serenity.



• A walk through this "Highland Town" offers the company of llamas and a view of the mountains.



• A fanciful gift for a kid, "Children of Peace," shows four delighted children perched on the back of a flying dove.



• Heading toward the "Andean Flower Market," one can almost smell the fresh air and flowers.

Peruvian gifts include excellent collectibles. Some are uniquely Peruvian, and all demonstrate the meticulous craftsmanship that you'd expect to find in collectors' items.

• Retablos

A colorful example of Peruvian folk art, retablos are similar to dioramas, with ceramic figures in a brightly painted wooden box. Some portray everyday life in the Andes, while those with religious themes are sometimes used as portable altars.

Retablos often have an upper section representing heaven with religious figures, and a lower section depicting scenes from life on earth. Retablos are thoughtful religious gifts.

• Gourd Art is an ancient Peruvian folk art, highlighted in the finely etched drawings on the bulgaris or mate gourd. Designs are carved with a tool called a buril and colored in a process much like woodburning. NOVICA offers these and other Peruvian gourd art ranging from masks to maracas, bowls to figurines.
  
  One World Projects (another Fair Trade merchant) offers gourd boxes, both carved and painted (including a nested set), along with exquisite extreme detail carving (scroll down). Great gifts for collectors!



• Masks are often part of a Peruvian dancer's costume, depicting spiritual figures, legendary heroes, or animals. These copper masks are finely detailed, and the Incan and pre-Incan masks, made of various materials, are bright and colorful. A mask will be an appealing gift for a boy.



• Nativities are collectible Peruvian gifts that are crafted from many different materials, each with its own personality. One World Projects offers nativities depicted in stone, pottery and carved gourd from Peru (scroll down).



• Musical Instruments - The sweet, haunting tones of the quena flute spring to mind when we think of Peruvian music. The bamboo zampona, a type of panpipe, is made of various sized cane tubes, each producing a different tone. Both of these Peruvian gifts are hand carved and come with fabric carrying cases. Great gift ideas for a musician - or an aspiring musician!



• Sculpture and Figurines - Stone sculpture is yet another ancient Peruvian art that is alive and well today. "White Cockatoo" is a masterpiece in onyx, serpentine, and other stones.

  NOVICA presents wood sculpture from Peru in cedar and mahogany. "Marinera Dancers" is part of an extensive series called "Folklore" by this talented artist (view more of his work).

I hope you've enjoyed this virtual shopping trip to Peru! You can have every confidence in the Peruvian gifts offered by NOVICA in association with National Geographic. Every single order I place with them is fulfilled with top-notch customer service.