The Kichwa people use these large wooden bowls, called batanes, to mash cassava or manioc. This is the initial step in the preparation of a traditional drink called chicha. These artistic bowls come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. They feature sturdy handles on the edge, which are a fundamental part of the traditional design. The handles allow women to hold the bowl steady as they mash manioc.

All Kallari wood crafts are hand-carved and have a light, all natural oil finish. Our crafts are fashioned from wood which has been harvested from stumps of trees cut down years ago. Other bowls are made from the buttress root, which can be harvested without killing the tree.

When struck with a family emergency, the market for these beautiful wooden products encourages farmers to sell high quality crafts through the cooperative instead of cut additional trees to sell at a low price. It may take a minimum of two days to make a traditional bowl, but it requires little wood and encourages the farmers to save their trees for future craft production. Currently, if a farmer decides to cut a tree and sell its wood to intermediaries, they may only earn $6 for a large beam, totaling up to $200 per tree. By making crafts for sale through the Kallari cooperative from the excess stumps and limbs from other trees, they can earn much more than by cutting down a live tree.

Traditional bowls are available in your choice of a dark-colored hardwood (Red Cedar or Mahogany) or a light-colored hardwood (Yellow Cedar).