We eventually arrived outside the front door of the home of Julio Galvez R. On knocking we were invited in by, I would suggest, his wife. Señora was most welcoming and showed us everything from the display area through to the actual work space.
Although I have to admit that alabaster carving is not one of my preferred likings in the craft field, I had to admit that some of the work displayed was unbelievable. In fact the first thing that came to mind was the work of Willard Wigan and his microscopic sculptures. This work was definitely not as small as his, however, the detail was amazing.
The sculptors even gather the white alabaster dust mix it into a paste with finely mashed potato and then carve small figurines and paint them!
The actual beginning, piles of quarried alabaster awaiting the sculptor’s hand.
I always marvel at the ability of a stone worker to begin with a piece of stone and then slowly work your way into it to form a recognisable shape, in this case two heads. I also wonder what happens to the piece of work that accidentally loses a nose or finger in the process!
Our second call was equally interesting, this time a visit to a weaver by the name of Hernan Bajalqui Tenorio. As with the first visit, we were made extremely welcome and even were made to sit in their dining room as they displayed their work for us. At the end of this informal exhibition we were shown the entire house, three floors of it, culminating on the roof top with a panoramic view of Ayacucho.
Apparently they rent out accommodation and were very keen for us to join them. The rental price was not too bad and I have to admit the actual rooms were very new, however, the short trip to the Plaza de Armas was unbelievably steep.
What about the actual weavings? Well I must admit that I have seen 3D woven hangings before but these weavings were extraordinary and hopefully the photographs give you some indication of the skill of the weaver.
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