About
Sañu, pottery from Raqchi
Sañu is the Amaru family's workshop in Raqchi, a pottery community in Canchis, Cusco. We make aríbalos, keros and tableware with techniques passed down from generation to generation in the community.
Raqchi
Raqchi is in the district of San Pedro, province of Canchis, 118 km south of Cusco, on the road between Cusco and Puno. It is known for the Inca Temple of Wiracocha and for its pottery tradition.
Sañu pieces follow that tradition: aríbalos, keros and tableware with the shapes and designs of Inca pottery, made with Raqchi clay.
Process
How a piece is made
- 1
Clay and volcanic sand
The clay is gathered in Raqchi and in the neighboring community of Machaqmarca. It is ground and mixed with volcanic sand from Kinsachata, a dormant volcano nearby: between 10% and 30% depending on the size of the piece.
- 2
Coiling on the muyu
The piece is built by hand on the muyu, a simple turning base, by joining rings of clay one on top of another. It is smoothed with stones and damp leather. It is the technique Inca potters used.
- 3
Colored earths
It is painted before firing with local earths: red from iron oxide, creamy white from Queromarca and black from Machaqmarca. Then it is burnished, and the color stays in the piece.
- 4
Kiln firing
The pieces are fired for 4 to 8 hours in an adobe kiln. Tableware and drinkware are glazed for everyday use.
Source: "Cerámica ancestral de Raqchi" newsletter, by Máximo Amaru Mamani and Sayda Choque Chuquihuanca.
The workshop today
From the workshop to your home
Every piece comes from the workshop in Raqchi. You can buy it in the shop, shipped from Cusco, or visit the workshop and make your own.
Where we are
Find us here
Raqchi community, San Pedro district, Canchis province, Cusco. Buses on the Cusco to Puno route stop in Raqchi to visit the Temple of Wiracocha.