TUMI

The Tumi collection pays tribute to one of the national symbols of Peru. The Tumi symbol has been used in ceremonies since pre-Columbian times. The best-known exemples have been found in archaeological sites along the north coast of Peru, especially those produced by the Sipan civilization. However, these Tumis were not exclusively used by this culture since they have also been found in archaeological sites that belong to the Moche, Chimu and later the Incas.
The Tumis have an elaborate handle in the form of a human face traditionally identified as Naylamp, the Sipan’s mythological God. Some of the Tumis are decorated with semiprecious stones and represent the best-known archaeological pieces of pre-Columbian art.

In modern Peru, the Tumi is seen as a bearer of good-fortune. In the house of Cornelio Borda, formerly there was a large Tumi decorating the wall of grandaunt Olga’s room. From all the grandaunts in the Cornelio Borda, she was the one that lived the longest.

The collection was designed in Italy and are Made in Peru by an artisan family of the Mantaro Valley in Lima.