Toritos Pucará

It originated in Pucara as an ancient Spanish festival in which the bull is saddled, painted and a spicy pepper was placed on the nose. The animal then became maddened by the sting. That image continues to show up on ceramics today. The tradition was maintained until the 1960's. The original bulls were pink, and the head and horns, coffee brown. They were used in the branding ceremony of the livestock. Formerly, all the little ceramic bulls were produced by hand, but now, because of the growing demand, many are made with moulds and put on the roofs of the houses as a symbol of protection.