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As a gesture of hospitality and fraternity, athletes and Para athletes who win at the Lima 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games will receive—besides gold, silver and bronze medals—a different kind of trophy: clay cuchimilcos.
There will be a total of 5930 figurines emulating the Chancay pre-Hispanic culture statuette—known for its open arms, as if giving welcome—which serves as inspiration for Milco., the Games mascot. His name is actually a derivative of cuchi-milco.
To that end, through a public tender, the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee chose a family business led by an Ayacucho master craftsman, Edwin Huassaca Condori. He and his brothers took on the challenge of making these sculptures in a small size.
Carlos Manuel Lazarte, Lima 2019 Official Spokesperson, applauded the craftsmen’s work, which will be taken abroad by the winning athletes and Para athletes as a souvenir and trophy, at the same time.
“All over the world, sports games expect athletes to exchange knowledge about their countries' culture. Besides, we're talking about something that gives a job to a family, which is a small business. This is a way to prove that the Games are creating a whole legacy and economic momentum inside Peru. They have done a beautiful job,” he assured.
Born in Ayacucho, the Huassaca Condori family settled in Chorrillos after fleeing from the terrorism which hit their home city during the 1980s. They currently have five workshops where, apart from the family members, another 30 craftspeople work. The process of making the statuettes meant the most important challenge for the family to date. They received assistance from the National Craftsmanship Office of the Ministry of Foreign Trade (Mincetur).
“We feel very happy to be part of Lima 2019, an event that will raise the profile of Peruvians as organizers. It has been a tremendous challenge and we have put in a lot of effort to meet the deadline with very good quality and a beautiful design. Whenever they run the Games ad on TV, my son tells me: 'That’s the Milco you've made, dad,' which makes me very happy,” said Edwin.
Regarding the design and modeling process of the statuette made of red clay, he explained that it was essentially based on the traditional object of the Chancay culture. They used geometrical designs inspired in nature, such as the waves and trees tattooed on its legs, and the champion band it wears on the forehead.
“From the moment we won the tender, we had a design already made on the computer that we later made real. But, the most important thing is that all of this comes from our ancestors. Pottery has been practiced since the times of the Wari empire, which we are descendants from. We keep Peruvian art, tradition and culture alive. That is an incredible thing we keep alive in our hearts and our hands,” he assured.
It is worth mentioning that clay cuchimilcos will be given to medal-winning athletes in a special cross bag featuring traditional Peruvian designs.
