Motche

The journey of Peruvian ancestral jewelry tradition into modernity

Carole Fraresso founded Maison Motché  in 2010 with a vision focused on the recovery and transmission of the cultural heritage present in Peruvian jewelry. 

Motché jewels are handmade using recycled gold. Carole´s approach is a mix of archaeology, historical craftsmanship and modern design perpetuating the gestures of exceptional Peruvian artisans, in an ethical and responsible process.

Her journey takes us to Perú of yesterday and today through coast, sea and mountains.

Passionate about History and Latin America, Carole Fraresso developed a taste for travel and the human sciences from an early age.  Carole continued her career with a Masters in Archeology focused on Andean civilizations and their relationships with metallic ornaments. In 2002, she joined the Bordeaux Archeomaterials Research Laboratory and the French Institute for Andean Studies in Lima, where she carried out "technological surveys" to try to restore the gestures and ways of thinking of the goldsmiths of the past.

Holder of a doctorate in Archeomaterials and a well known expert in pre-Columbian goldsmithing, Carole Fraresso is an internationally recognized specialist in pre-Inca cultures.

In 2009, the French archaeologist decided to settle in Perú where she worked in the privacy of museum reserves. Inspired by the most beautiful international collections, she began to draw ornaments creating the first exclusive jewelry collection for Larco Museum in Lima, the MEG in Geneva and then her own label Motché.

Armando Castillo, Motché’s co-founder, is a renowned goldsmith, and one of the last to practice this ancient art. Formed by his uncle in the metal arts, and later in the restoration of archaeological objects at the Museo Tumbas Reales in Sipán, in Lambayeque; This goldsmith from the north coast of Peru has a professional career worthy of his talent. In 2004, he started a scientific collaboration with Carole Fraresso associating his traditional knowledge with the field of experimental archeology. Passionate about his profession and the technical heritage of his ancestors, Armando has managed to preserve and update his legacy by combining science and technology, sustainability and creativity. He transforms the thin gold foil to give life to the Maison's creations following a tradition of 3,000 years.