Ecuadorian Bread Figures


The figurines made from flour paste, popularly known as "bread figures", are found only in Ecuador where they are produced in the little town of Calderon north of Quito. The figures often reproduce elements from the environment and daily life. For example, Indian men beside grazing sheep, Indian women sitting beside sacks of fruit in an imaginary market. The colours, which are used indiscriminately, are those found in the dress of the local women: orange, green, scarlet, and the blue--between navy blue and sky blue--which the Indians call "colour of dawn." Traditionally they are edible but the work shop I went to make them for export (especially during Christmas time) and are made with glue.