A bar of Shilquilu tree sap sitting on a banana leaf, ready for use in coating pottery. The potters slash the bark of a Shilquilu tree, allowing the sap to slowly bleed out. Later the potters will collect the hardened sap. The collected sap is heated slightly in hot water to soften it, and any impurities are removed. The warm Shilquilu sap is formed into a bar shape for storage and later use. The potter will again warm the bar of sap in hot water to shape it for easier application to the hot pottery.