August 18, 2008
Today, for the second time on this trip, we took the second-class bus from Patzcuaro to the village of Santa Clara del Cobre (“Santa Clara of the Copper”). The artisans of Santa Clara have had a hard year. The village produces the world’s finest hand-hammered copper. But soaring world copper prices have increased material costs, and declines in the U.S. and Mexican economies have hurt sales. A fine, but unsold, piece of hand-hammered copper may represent months of uncompensated labor.
So there were smiles when Chiripa bought some prize-winning pieces at this year’s annual Copper Fair in Santa Clara. We bought the first-place centerpiece in the children’s category,
and the 3rd-place copper pot winner in the “New Entrants” category.
Today we returned to the village to watch the winners receive their prize diplomas, amid great civic pomp and ceremony. Of course, we also bought many other stunning, hand-hammered copper pieces in Santa Clara. We always buy more than we had planned, because it is impossible to resist the timeless warmth of these pieces. In a thousand years, they will be as beautiful and elegant as they are today.
Be sure to check out the copper pieces available for sale on the Chiripa website. You'll find a range of pieces from inexpensive copper boxes to works by some of the maestros of the craft.
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