Olga Fisch Folklore

Olga Fisch Folklore is the very first Ecuadorian handicrafts store, opened over 70 years ago. It was founded by Hungarian artist Olga Fisch - a Jewish refugee who moved to Ecuador after the outbreak of World War II. Olga studied painting in Düsseldorf and had been collecting folk art since she was 12 or 13.

Her first collection, gathered in Hungarian villages, was destroyed in a bombing in Budapest. Her second - African art - sank along with the ship carrying her belongings. After that, Olga decided never to collect anything again. But shortly after arriving in Quito, a man on the street offered to sell her a silver tupo - a sun-shaped pin used to fasten ponchos. She couldn't resist - and so began her third collection, and with it, a new life.

The collection quickly grew, and soon Olga's home became a must-stop for tourists, and then turned into a store. Olga traveled all over Ecuador, worked with artisans from 250 indigenous tribes, helped them refine their craft and find buyers. She called her greatest talent the ability to recognize quality and bridge the gap between folk art and fine art.

In the early 1950s, her store moved to a spacious building in the La Mariscal district, where it remains today. And in 1975, Olga opened a museum above the store, which houses the country's largest and, most importantly, publicly accessible collection of ancient art: sculptures, gold pieces, and ceramics from pre-Incan cultures.

Today, over a thousand artisans and designers from Ecuador work with Olga Fisch Folklore. Rugs, tapestries, hardwood tiles, jewelry, clothing, wall hangings, bags, home decor, and folk art pieces - you name it, they have it!

If you're looking for what to bring back from Ecuador - not some trinket from a market, but something made by a specific artisan using techniques passed down through generations, or conversely, by a contemporary designer developing Ecuadorian craft traditions - come here. Just budget extra time: the museum on the second floor is captivating!