An aging artist and his work

You'll remember that for Christmas, we gave each one of the missionaries a carved mate, or dried gourd, a very typical piece of handicraft from the Mantaro Valley, in which Huancayo is located.

The nearby town of Cochas is the center of master-craftsmanship of mates.  We happened upon 75-year-old Eulogio Medina, who is probably the master of them all.  

The work at his level is intricate and time consuming.

 He is a cheerful man, and his family has done this work forever.  His wife is his assistant.

She proudly showed us a small 'museum' of some of the more spectacular examples.

A piece such as this requires three weeks of handwork.  This one depicts traditional dances of the Valley.

This mate tells the story of the life of Christ in twelve segments, and only required a little less time and effort.

 

Mr. Medina tells us proudly that his son will be better than himself, having recently won a national competition for this artwork.

We wish that we could make something so beautiful out of something so humble.

Dave & Paula