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Hand-Painted Ceramic Chiva Bus

Hand-Painted Ceramic Chiva Bus

★★★★★ Rated 4.9/5 by collectors (30 Reviews)

Est. 1987. Historic craftsmanship meets modern design.

US Domestic Shipping. Insured and tracked from Taos, NM (USA).

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Regular price $45.00 USD
Regular price Sale price $45.00 USD
Sale Sold out
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Color: Yellow
Quantity

This handmade Ecuadorian ceramic chiva bus is a colorful folk-art miniature inspired by rural Andean transport. Hand-modeled and hand-painted, each piece shows passengers, animals, roof cargo, and a small figure working at the engine, turning a traditional bus form into a compact collectible for shelves, desks, mantels, and folk-art displays.

What Is a Chiva Bus

A chiva is a brightly painted rustic bus associated with rural transport in Colombia and Ecuador. Traditionally adapted for mountain roads, chivas carried passengers, livestock, and goods together, often using a roof rack for cargo. In ceramic form, the chiva becomes a miniature narrative: benches filled with people, goods stacked above, and the road itself implied through the movement and detail of the scene.

At a Glance

  • Best for: Folk-art collectors, Latin American decor, shelf styling, office decor, mantels, and small cultural gifts
  • Style: Colorful Andean folk art
  • Made in: Ecuador
  • Material: Hand-painted ceramic
  • Available colors: Yellow, orange, and green hood variants

Choose Your Chiva

Three individual chiva buses are available, each identified by the color of its hood: yellow, orange, or green. The yellow and orange buses are the larger pair, measuring approximately 3.5 inches tall by 5.5 inches long. The green bus is slightly smaller, measuring approximately 3 inches tall by 5 inches long. Each piece is individually modeled and painted by hand, so color placement, figures, and surface details will vary.

Catalogue Details

  • Object: Ecuadorian ceramic chiva bus
  • Artist: Unrecorded artisan
  • Origin: Ecuador
  • Material: Hand-painted ceramic
  • Approximate dimensions: Yellow and orange, 3.5 in. H x 5.5 in. L; green, 3 in. H x 5 in. L
  • Variants: Hood color, yellow, orange, or green
  • Sold as: Individual piece
  • Condition: Handmade object; natural variation in form, paint, and surface detail
  • Ships from: Taos, New Mexico

Collector's Highlights

  • Handmade Ecuadorian folk-art ceramic
  • Miniature chiva bus with passengers, animals, and roof cargo
  • Colorful object tied to rural Andean transport traditions
  • Compact display scale for shelves, desks, mantels, and folk-art groupings
  • Each bus is individually painted, with no two exactly alike

Select your preferred hood color above. Each chiva bus is sold individually and ships from Taos, New Mexico.

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