The traditional pottery of the Awajún people is made entirely by women, who have specialised in the art of making various clay-based vessels for daily use or objects used on festive occasions, such as storing their traditional masato drink during major festivals. The ceramics are known by the generic name of Pining; the name given to the nests of the guacharos birds.

The production of ceramics, includes pots, jars, and plates, among others, and is integral to the art of learning the dakuma (knowledge, ancestral wisdom) of the Awajún women. The tradition of making pottery is present in their origin myths, as well as fulfilling important roles within the culture. In recent years, Awajún ceramics have gained importance in Peru's art and craft market, generating a steady income for the artisans and their families.

Awajún women decorate their ceramic vessels with intricate geometric motifs inspired by the natural elements of their forest home. This complex craft follows five principal stages: harvesting raw materials, modeling, firing, ornamentation, and finishing. Because the process demands specialized techniques and ancestral knowledge passed down for millennia, the mastery of this pottery remains a revered skill held only by those who've received the training. In the present day, new methods have been introduced to some of the communities, which have refined the finishing and firing techniques to what they are today.

The grandmothers of the Awajún people, known as "dukúg", are responsible for teaching this knowledge to the rest of the women, to fulfill an important social function, thereby enabling young women to become autonomous through the production of ceramics.

The elements used in the elaboration of Awajún ceramics are obtained from the forest. Inputs such as clay, tree bark, and plants are part of the creation process. The clay or dúwa in Awajún, is considered a special clay due to its high elasticity and precision for working with pottery, as well as being considered a "fatty" clay. According to the Awajún oral tradition, the clay is associated with two mythical figures such as Nántu (moon) and Aúju (Ayaymama - within the Awajún cosmology, is the name of Nantu's wife), and because of this, it is associated with the moon and singing to Ayaymama becomes one's guide to find good clay in the field: "When the full moon rises, in the place where the Ayaymama bird perches, is where the good clay can be found." (Mincul, 2017)

The deposits of fatty clay are found in the humid parts of the forest, on the banks of the oxbow lakes and streams, or even beneath the earth. When women go in search of clay, they dig into grey and white mud, looking for bubbles in the mud as a sign of the clay's presence. In addition, there are two other types of clay used in pottery making, such as yavi or yawi, which is mainly applied as the base of larger pieces, and is a little softer and whiter than duwa. Another type of clay is duwa pachishtai, or "clay that is not mixed with any kind of bark when it is prepared."

The use of clay, or duwa, has strict rules, as Luzmila tells us:

"The duwa is not easy to find, but once they find it, they know where the duwa is. Men or women can take out duwa, but it has a secret. To take out the duwa, you cannot sleep with your wife, and the woman cannot sleep with her husband; the woman cannot be pregnant, nor harvest when pregnant, they must not harvest when they are menstruating, that's their secret." ~Luzmila, San Antonio community, Río Cenepa.

Another element used in the production of ceramics is the yukuúku or the apacharama bark (Hirtella triandra), which is considered one of the most important materials for Awajún pottery. Yukuúku is the ash obtained by burning the apacharama bark, which is then mixed with the clay to form a clay slip or paste for the pottery.

They also use other materials and mixtures, such as yukáip, which is a resin produced from the tree (Vismia sp.) This element seals the walls of the pieces and provides a transparent glaze on the pottery's surface. Ceramists buy or exchange this wax with people in the border area of the equator (Ecuador) in the Condor Mountains, and can place orders for this element, which can take up to three months to arrive (Mincul, 2015).

There is a variety of tree latexes used by the Awajún, such as "leche caspi" (couma macrocarpa) or daún, a white latex obtained from the tree used to varnish the ceramic pieces. It can be applied over the entire piece, both inside and outside, to fill in porosities. It can also be used to draw designs onto the vessel by mixing it with other elements such as fruits, ashes, or dry clay.

‍Chipa and shijíkap are other varieties of latex that Awajún women use to finish the pots, providing a smooth lacquer that helps to seal the imperfections of the ceramic surface.

The tools used in Awajún ceramics are obtained from the forest and transformed into working instruments by the women. In particular, tools made of wood are fashioned by the men and given to their wives to work with. A vital instrument in this process is the púmput, a grinding station consisting of a thick wooden board and a large oval stone. This tool is essential for crushing burnt bark into ash and mixing apacharama bark with clay to create a durable ceramic paste.

The tátag, also called tátan, is a thin wooden board on which the ceramic paste is placed, molded, and used for transporting the prepared pot. The Kúishipip is a small instrument used to mold the clay and smooth the pots. The Kúishipip is primarily made from the dried fruit of a tree known as Tsakáska (Jacaranda copaia), but any hard shell or plastic utensil can also be utilised.

Additionally, the Jinchaag is a small, white stone that is curved and elongated, used to polish the ceramics before firing. The Intash ayaimu is a fine brush made of human hair with a handle made of clay or beeswax.

These brushes are made by each ceramist, who often uses their own hair, and are made in a variety of sizes to accommodate the range of designs that are drawn onto the ceramics.