{"product_id":"bolivian-stone-amulet-la-paz","title":"Hand-Carved Stone Amulet – La Paz Witches' Market | From The Andes","description":"\u003c!-- PREVIEW WRAPPER ONLY. Do NOT copy this part into Shopify. --\u003e\u003c!-- It loads the brand fonts and cream background so you can see the result. --\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"background: #FAF7F2; padding: 2.5em 1.2em;\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"max-width: 720px; margin: 0 auto;\"\u003e\n\u003c!-- ===== COPY FROM HERE INTO THE SHOPIFY DESCRIPTION FIELD ===== --\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-family: 'Jost', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 1.05em; color: #3a322b; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0 0 1.2em;\"\u003eA hand-carved stone amulet from the Calle de las Brujas, the witches' market in the historic center of La Paz, Bolivia. The street runs along Calle Linares, a steep block above the church of San Francisco, where Aymara vendors and yatiri healers have sold amulets, herbs, and offerings for generations. It is a working market with a real name on the map, not a story invented for a label. These pieces came out of it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-family: 'Jost', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 1.05em; color: #3a322b; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0 0 1.2em;\"\u003eEach figure is worked by hand into a single dense form, dark, smoothed by age and handling, small enough to close inside one hand. No two are alike. Each was carved by a different hand and none was made twice. This listing is for a single amulet. Choose your figure from the variants, and you receive the exact piece shown.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-family: 'Jost', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 1.05em; color: #3a322b; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0 0 1.2em;\"\u003eThese were never decoration. In Bolivia the amulet is a working object, held in the hand or set on a household altar for a specific reason. Choose the one that is yours.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"font-family: 'Cormorant Garamond', Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.35em; font-weight: 600; color: #2c2420; margin: 1.4em 0 0.5em;\"\u003eThe Tradition Behind Them\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-family: 'Jost', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 1.05em; color: #3a322b; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0 0 1.2em;\"\u003eThe market is a layered place. Aymara belief and Catholic faith have been set over one another here across centuries, and its amulets carry that mixed inheritance. Most descend from the Andean stone charms known as \u003cem\u003eillas\u003c\/em\u003e, small carved figures kept close or set on an altar to draw blessing and increase toward their keeper. The practice is old and well documented. A Quechua dictionary compiled in 1608 already defined the \u003cem\u003eilla\u003c\/em\u003e as a stone kept for wealth and good fortune, and museums in London and New York hold the carved camelid \u003cem\u003eillas\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003econopas\u003c\/em\u003e that Andean households once buried in their corrals to protect the herd. One figure among these came later, across the ocean: the protective hand, an amulet with Iberian roots that crossed the Atlantic with the Spanish and was reworked here in stone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"font-family: 'Cormorant Garamond', Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.35em; font-weight: 600; color: #2c2420; margin: 1.4em 0 0.5em;\"\u003eThe Four Amulets\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-family: 'Jost', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 1.05em; color: #3a322b; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0 0 0.8em;\"\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"color: #b85c38;\"\u003eCondor.\u003c\/strong\u003e Messenger of the upper world, the bird that flies highest and carries word to the gods. Carried for safe passage and for rising.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-family: 'Jost', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 1.05em; color: #3a322b; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0 0 0.8em;\"\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"color: #b85c38;\"\u003eLlama.\u003c\/strong\u003e The classic \u003cem\u003eilla\u003c\/em\u003e, the figure the whole stone-amulet tradition is built around. The herd was wealth in the Andes, and the carved llama was kept for prosperity and increase.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-family: 'Jost', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 1.05em; color: #3a322b; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0 0 0.8em;\"\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"color: #b85c38;\"\u003eTurtle.\u003c\/strong\u003e The armored body that outlasts everything around it. Carried for health and a long life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-family: 'Jost', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 1.05em; color: #3a322b; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0 0 1.2em;\"\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"color: #b85c38;\"\u003eHand.\u003c\/strong\u003e A closed hand gripping a small bag of money, a serpent coiled around it. The serpent is Katari, the Andean guardian that sheds its skin and renews. Together they read plainly: wealth held in the hand, and guarded. Carried to keep what you have and turn away envy and the evil eye.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"font-family: 'Cormorant Garamond', Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.35em; font-weight: 600; color: #2c2420; margin: 1.4em 0 0.5em;\"\u003eDetails\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"font-family: 'Jost', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 1.02em; color: #3a322b; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0 0 1.2em; padding-left: 1.2em;\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Calle de las Brujas, La Paz, Bolivia\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Held more than fifty years\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hand-carved stone\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Approximately 1.5 to 2.5 inches, varying by piece\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Vintage, with honest wear consistent with age\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSold as:\u003c\/strong\u003e One amulet per order; choose your figure by variant; each is one of one\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShips from:\u003c\/strong\u003e Taos, New Mexico\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"font-family: 'Cormorant Garamond', Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.35em; font-weight: 600; color: #2c2420; margin: 1.4em 0 0.5em;\"\u003eDisplay and Styling\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-family: 'Jost', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 1.05em; color: #3a322b; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0 0 1.2em;\"\u003eSet a single amulet on a desk, a windowsill, or a bedside shelf where it can be picked up and held. Grouped with other small carvings in a bowl or on an open shelf, the dark carved stone suits folk-art, Southwestern, studio, and globally layered interiors. Small enough to carry in a pocket or bag, the way these were first kept.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"font-family: 'Cormorant Garamond', Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.35em; font-weight: 600; color: #2c2420; margin: 1.4em 0 0.5em;\"\u003eFAQ\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-family: 'Jost', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 1.05em; color: #3a322b; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0 0 0.8em;\"\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"color: #b85c38;\"\u003eWhere do these come from?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Calle de las Brujas, the witches' market in the historic center of La Paz, Bolivia, along Calle Linares above the church of San Francisco. They have been held more than fifty years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-family: 'Jost', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 1.05em; color: #3a322b; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0 0 0.8em;\"\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"color: #b85c38;\"\u003eWhat is a protection amulet?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne carried or kept to guard its keeper. In the La Paz market the hand with a coiled serpent is the protective figure, kept to hold wealth and turn away envy and the evil eye.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-family: 'Jost', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 1.05em; color: #3a322b; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0 0 0.8em;\"\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"color: #b85c38;\"\u003eIs this like an azabache or mal de ojo charm?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt belongs to the same family of evil-eye protection, the Spanish and Latin American tradition of the guarding hand. The difference is the material. This is carved stone, not jet, which is what azabache means.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-family: 'Jost', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 1.05em; color: #3a322b; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0 0 0.8em;\"\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"color: #b85c38;\"\u003eWhat does each amulet mean?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe condor is for safe passage, the llama for prosperity, the turtle for long life, and the hand for holding and guarding wealth, with the coiled serpent as its guardian.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-family: 'Jost', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 1.05em; color: #3a322b; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0 0 0.8em;\"\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"color: #b85c38;\"\u003eAre they antique?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThey are vintage, held more than fifty years. They belong to a living Andean tradition rather than being excavated artifacts, and they are sold as folk objects, not antiquities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-family: 'Jost', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 1.05em; color: #3a322b; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0 0 0.8em;\"\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"color: #b85c38;\"\u003eWill I receive the exact piece shown?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes. Each variant is one of one, and you receive the specific piece pictured for the variant you choose.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-family: 'Jost', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 1.05em; color: #3a322b; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;\"\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"color: #b85c38;\"\u003eWhat are they made of?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHand-carved stone. The dark surface is stone, not jet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"border-top: 1px solid #e3ddd3; margin-top: 1.8em; padding-top: 1.2em;\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"font-family: 'Cormorant Garamond', Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: 600; color: #2c2420; margin: 0 0 0.6em;\"\u003eSources\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-family: 'Jost', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.9em; color: #6b6258; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0 0 0.4em; font-weight: 500;\"\u003eOn the illa and conopa tradition\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col style=\"font-family: 'Jost', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.9em; color: #6b6258; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0 0 0.9em; padding-left: 1.2em;\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDiego González Holguín, \u003cem\u003eVocabulario de la lengua general de todo el Perú llamada lengua qquichua o del inca\u003c\/em\u003e (Lima, 1608), defining the \u003cem\u003eilla\u003c\/em\u003e (also spelled \u003cem\u003eylla\u003c\/em\u003e) as a stone kept for wealth and good fortune.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCatherine J. Allen, \"The Living Ones: Miniatures and Animation in the Andes,\" \u003cem\u003eJournal of Anthropological Research\u003c\/em\u003e, vol. 72 (2016), 416 to 441.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrooklyn Museum, \u003cem\u003eCamelid Conopa\u003c\/em\u003e, Inca, carved stone, accession 36.683.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe British Museum, London: stone camelid \u003cem\u003econopa\u003c\/em\u003e (Am1946,11.1) and gold llama offering figurine (Am1921,0721.1).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-family: 'Jost', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.9em; color: #6b6258; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0 0 0.4em; font-weight: 500;\"\u003eBroader context, not direct evidence for the illa tradition\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col style=\"font-family: 'Jost', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.9em; color: #6b6258; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0; padding-left: 1.2em;\" start=\"5\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUNESCO, \"Andean Cosmovision of the Kallawaya,\" Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, proclaimed 2003 and inscribed 2008. Andean ritual knowledge, healing, and cosmovision.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eW. L. Hildburgh, \"Images of the Human Hand as Amulets in Spain,\" \u003cem\u003eJournal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes\u003c\/em\u003e, vol. 18 (1955), 67 to 89. The Iberian hand amulet, source for the Old World root of the Hand figure.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-family: 'Jost', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 1.05em; color: #3a322b; line-height: 1.7; margin: 1.6em 0 0;\"\u003eExplore more in the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/fromtheandes.net\/collections\/amulets-folk-objects\" style=\"color: #b85c38; text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eAmulets \u0026amp; Folk Objects collection\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- ===== STOP COPYING HERE ===== --\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"From The Andes","offers":[{"title":"Llama","offer_id":45899835375673,"sku":null,"price":350.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Condor","offer_id":45899835408441,"sku":null,"price":350.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hand","offer_id":45899835441209,"sku":null,"price":350.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Turtle","offer_id":45899835473977,"sku":null,"price":350.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0659\/3134\/5977\/files\/hand-carved-stone-amulet-la-paz-witches-market-from-the-andes-9114215.png?v=1780297151","url":"https:\/\/fromtheandes.net\/fr\/products\/bolivian-stone-amulet-la-paz","provider":"From The Andes","version":"1.0","type":"link"}