The pottery of the Andes near Cuenca
is made of local clays using unique forming methods, and then fired in large mounds in an open firing. The potters are all women in this region, and are highly skilled. The village of Jatumpamba is well known for its large pots or ollas. Nearby villages make similar pottery, but some potters use kilns that seem to date back to Inca kilns. The pottery has traces which go back to the Cañari culture, a fiercely independent people who largely resisted Inca rule.

Two villages are featured here: Jatumpamba and San Juan Bosco (formerly called Olleros). Click on the name of each village to view the images, or click a specific part of the process to start there.