Ceramic candleholder, 'Light of the Andes'

Product Review

NOVICA, in association with National Geographic, offers thousands of limited edition and one-of-a-kind gifts, jewelry, and home decor treasures handmade by master artists and artisans throughout the world. People in traditional dress surround a circular candleholder with their friendly presence. Trees and prickly pear cactus are interspersed with the diminutive characters in this delightful design. Hand-crafted in ceramic and painted with loving detail, the lacy globe shelters a candle dish by Alberto Aparicio Canchari. Artisan Info: Alberto Aparicio Canchari was born in Ayacucho in 1965. A dedicated ceramist, he is inspired by the customs and beliefs of Andean villages. His workshop seems inhabited by half-finished creatures, waiting for him to give them the breath of life. "I've been a ceramist since I was a child, as my parents taught me the craft. Later, I tried to develop my own pieces with a personal style. My main purpose is giving life to my creations, and I've achieved this through the expressions of their faces, aiming to reflect daily attitudes, Peruvian country scenes, even protests - and I'm satisfied and content. In the workshop I work full-time with my wife. "Most of our pieces are hand-molded, as only the weight of the hand can give the right shape. We use clay and simple tools; paints and pigments are blended together to produce the required hues, like that of the skin. All are made to resist high temperatures. The process starts from when we mold the pieces,