Masapán

Masapánsculpting is a special craft technique associated with the town ofCalderón, QuitoinEcuador.It is an art form from where beautiful and detailedfigurinesare created from a bread dough mixture. These figurines can be anything from fruits, animals, people, ornaments, nativity scenes, etc.

History

Masapán literally translates intomasa(dough) pán (bread). Women in and around the region ofCalderón,Ecuadorhave been making dough art for generations as a holiday tradition. The recipe for the mixture is simple. It is a combination of wheat flour, white glue, and water. This recipe varies from family to family and is kept secret as it is passed down from generation to generation. Beginning around 1940 they began selling theirfigurinesin local shops.

Technique

The dough is hand rolled and sculpted with small tools, knives, and toothpicks. The sharp points of the tools are ideal for the details thefigurinesare known for. They are then set to air dry for days or weeks before they are meticulously painted.

Production

A skilled artisan can make about 300 figurines in one day.In a month a shop typically makes about 20,000. Prices range between a quarter to $10 depending on the size. They are sold year-round but are extremely popular on November 2, theDay of the DeadandChristmastime. Recently there has a surge of interest in these figurines from people living in theUnited StatesandEurope.Many of the shops now spend time filling large orders and exporting the figurines to these countries.