Colombia Pottery Art - La Chamba Pottery 22 Diameter x 27 handle to handle x hight 9 cms with lid 14 centimeters 8.66 inches x 10.6. inches x 3.54 inches 5.5 inches 100% Eco-Friendly Chamba can be used in the oven and microwave-even on the stovetop and grill Cooking pieces heat very evenly and retain heat for a long period 100% handmade for our craftsmen Recently our authorities give us the origen protect that mean status of piece of art, decorative and unique piece. The Chamba is well now throughout South America and is used in many top restaurants for preparing, cooking and serving traditional dishes elegant look. The origin of this Cookware can be traced back over 700 years to vases and pitchers found in archeological sites. La Chamba is a steel made in the traditional way, in a small village in the Andes where the intensive manufacturing process is handed down from mother and daughter. First the local black clay is mixed with sand and water and from that each peace is moulded, trimmed and smoothed by hand. The vessels are coated in a fine terracotta glaze and are then left to dry in the sun. After drying, the surface is rubbed and polished by hand with semi-precious stones. It is this intensive polishing that gives La Chamba its natural patina and sheen. the cookware is placed inside large earthenware vessels and fired in kilns. This process changes the terracotta surface two black. You would expect colors and shapes variations are typical of a hand-crafted product Our pieces can change color with use because they are pieces without any type of paint or lacquer and especially when they are used on open fire without affecting their characteristics. These pieces are made preserving our ancestral culture. Made of natural unglazed clay and completely safe and toxins free Can be used in the oven and microwave oven on the stovetop grill and open flame With your purchase you support the economy of 300 families of artisans.