Hand-etched Muisca Design Pendant

Hand-etched Muisca Sun Design Pendant

The Muisca culture were people who lived in the Andes Mountains of central Colombia from about AD 1000-1550, and are known for their gold work.

The sizes and designs of these individually hand-carved pendants vary somewhat, with the average diameter being about 2 inches. Comes with black string cord 20 inches in length.

The land of the small mining community of Morcá,a four hour bus ride south of Bogotá, Colombia, has degraded from years of mining. This situation has left few economic alternatives for its inhabitants. The people of Morcá primarily rely on the revenue generated from their coal mines.

Young men and boys work in mine shafts that have only rudimentary support infrastructures and unsafe conditions. Many boys and adult heads of households have died from collapses and inhaling the buildup of poisonous gases.

In 1995, the Colombian government established a workshop to train boys how to carve figurines and jewelry from coal, hoping that revenues generated from craft production would provide an alternative to working in the mines.

In the morning the boys attend academic classes, and then go to the workshop to learn to carve coal and to work on their projects. Unfortunately, the workshop has not yet reduced the need to work in the mines.

Although the boys are skilled in producing beautiful crafts, there are too few markets.

Without income, and needing to support their families, the boys feel obligated to leave the school and workshop and return to the coal mines.

We hope that with your help and support, these boys can continue with their education and not return to the mines.