METALWORK
CUTLERY (knives, weapons, machetes, utensils)
Metalwork had a long tradition in Spain with its origins in the Bronze Age, and later was enhanced by the extraordinary technical and artistic skill of the Moors. At the time of the Conquest of Mexico, the production of weaponry, knives and other metal implements was a specialized and highly developed profession. Today in Mexico, blades and weapons are carried and used widely for hunting and field work, where the machete is the farmer's everyday tool. The Aragón family business, established in Oaxaca at the turn of the century (begun in Ejutla in 1750), claims the secret of "the temple," a closely guarded secret of the foremost weapon makers of Spain. Production in Oaxaca currently includes all manner of blades (sabers, swords, cutlasses, kendos, and machetes), cake servers, letter openers, and hunting and fishing knives, the latter chromed, highly polished, and acid-engraved with hunting scenes, animals and popular verse. The work is sold in many market places and shops and comes with hand-tooled leather cases.
SOURCES
The second aisle down from the north center door of the Benito Juárez market has several vendors and manufacturers. Market stalls in Mitla carry smaller pieces, as does ARIPO in Oaxaca. In the town of Ocotlán de Morelos are two excellent cutlery and blades workshops; that of the Mendez family and the one best-known for demonstrations, that of the Aguilar family.
CASA ARAGON (Guillermo Aragón Guzmán) (manufacturer) J.P. García 503 btwn. Aldama and Mina, Oaxaca (shop); 4-20-21
CASA BRENA (shop and workshop)
San Martín 106 cor. Libres, Oaxaca 5-39-90, 5-02-22
CUCHILLERIA ARTISTICA / HERMANOS AGUILAR (manufacturer)
Callejón Victoria, Ocotlán de Morelos; 957-1-00-06
CUCHILLERIA FINA DE OAXACA (Agustín Cisneros)
Camino Nacional 904, Col. El Bajío, Oaxaca; 2-10-96
HERMANOS ZAVALETA (manufacturer)
Benito Juárez Market, Stalls 272,273; 4-05-10
Workshop: Pipila 120, Col. Mi Ranchito, Xoxocotlán
MARTINEZ, MIGUEL (manufacturer)
Benito Juárez Market, Stall 5, north side, Oaxaca; 4-48-68
TINWARE (hojalata)
The craft was imported by the Spaniards in the 16th century, and for many years its guilds prohibited Indians from membership. Even now it is mainly a mestizo profession in Oaxaca and still made by hand. Today the most sought-after items are Christmas ornaments in a myriad of forms from cactus and cowboy boots to devils, angels, fruits, sunbursts, owls, and butterflies.
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Tin soldiers in tall hats playing music, ultra-fancy mirror frames, candlesticks, lamps, lanterns, little altarpieces, animals, flowers, birds, boxes, and other made-to-order items are gaily turned out; for this is a most cheerful craft, although the skeleton is right in there too, hot pink and dangling from a string, all his bones dancing. Most of the today's tinware is brightly colored with lacquer except for the large mirror frames, elaborate enough as they are. Almost every handicraft shop carries tinware, as do the stalls on 20 de Noviembre of the market and the Artesanías market.
SOURCES
HOJALATERIA ARTISTICA (Artistic Tin Plate Shop)
Aaron Velasco Pacheco
Prol. de Porfirio Díaz 1301 cor. Calz. Héroes de Chapultepec, Barrio
Xochimilco; 5-26-43 (home); 5-18-11 (workshop)
HOJALATERIA ARTISTICA (Catarino Pacheco) (shop)
Sto. Tomás 118, Barrio Xochimilco; tel & FAX: 5-94-05
SALEY (Alfonso Santiago Leyva) (shop)
Río Pedregal 211, Col. La Cascada; tel & FAX: 5-26-09
Alfonso Santiago Leyva is the the best tinsmith in Oaxaca and very reliable.
IRON
In the 16th century many locksmiths and ironworkers came to Mexico and settled in provincial cities. They made forged iron implements and architectural elements including plows, railings, window grills, locks, weapons and armor.
The most notable examples of fine Oaxaca forged iron are the window grills and balconies on the colonial buildings throughout the historic center.
In the 18th century iron work was enriched by the use of oriental designs. Oaxaca is fortunate to have iron ore that permits the manufacture of lightweight, flexible and imaginative work. Ironwork is a very specialized profession, practiced by only a few shops which make architectural adornments and smaller pieces to order, or have lanterns, garden furniture and other items for sale in their shops. The handicrafts shop YALALAG at Alcalá 104 sells decorative iron wall crosses from Chiapas, as do a few other shops. HERRERIA ARTISTICA VULCANO'S shop receives visitors.
SOURCES
ARTES METALICAS (Armando García Medina)
Prol. F. Romero 409 front of Hospital Civil
Fracc. ISSSTE; 5-29-35
DEL PACIFICO (Leobardo Cisneros García)
Corpus Christi 5 btwn. Angel Méndez and 12 de Junio
Col. El Arenal, Cinco Señores; 4-74-74
HERRERIA ARTISTICA VULCANO (Esteban Santos Vargas)
Melchor Ocampo 513 bwtn. Arteaga y Rayón 6-34-03
Makers of the bandstand in Tlacochahuaya, this company sells garden furniture, lanterns and some curious toy figures, as well as doing work to order.
HERRERIA HERNANDEZ (Manuel Hernández)
Xicotencatl 707 btwn. Carbonera and La Noria; 4-62-40
Hernández is one of the old-time ironworkers who can make anything a customer orders in the traditional style and technique.
LEAD FIGURES
In Europe and in North and Latin America, small lead figures have been popular for a long time. Production goes back for generations in Oaxaca; the cast of characters includes heroes, armies of soldiers, sailing and motor vessels, animals, furniture, cars and trucks, airplanes, and weapons. There are only a few families left making lead figures; one is the that of Alberto Vásquez, originally from Tlaxiaco and now established in Oaxaca (Cjon. de los Reyes 112, near Plaza de la Danza). In addition to traditional subjects they make wonderful crocodiles, devils, dancing skeletons, girls in regional costumes, bare-breasted female guerrilla fighters, French maids with a leg in the air, Emiliano Zapata, Porfirio Díaz, deer dancers, Christopher Columbus, and charros on horseback. They sell in the Alameda Park, at ARIPO and other shops.
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