Peru · Hand-molded and wood-fired earthenware ceramics
Cerámica de Quinua / Iglesitas de Techo
The hand-molding, wood-firing, and mineral-paint decoration of ceramic vessels and, most distinctively, miniature churches placed on rooftops to ward off evil spirits — a tradition centered in Quinua, a town near Ayacucho in Peru's central highlands, where ceramics now provide the primary source of income for roughly a quarter of the population. The craft's characteristic white-on-red decorative style traces to the Wari culture (500–1000 CE), whose capital lay just outside present-day Quinua; the specific roof-church custom, most common in Quinua and neighboring Huamanga, places a small ceramic church on the roof of every newly occupied house, with locals claiming Ayacucho itself holds 33 churches — one for each year of Christ's life.
Risk level: Vulnerable · Not Applicable — no UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage inscription exists for this craft at time of writing
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