 Traditional Spanish Crafts
Spanish crafts, the varied production of which is the fruit
of centuries-old traditions, constitutes a tourist attraction
of great importance. There is a great deal of specialised
business activity in this sector in practically every Spanish
city,
especially in the tourist areas.
Normally, access is unrestricted and normal business hours
are respected.
Leather & Textiles
Among the outstanding traditional craftwork
made in Spain are leather products, produced in many different
regions though the Andalucian leatherwork is especially renowned
for the excellent quality of its leather and its up-to-date,
painstaking designs. The recent boost experienced by Spanish
fashion designers has consolidated the prestige of this
sector and had a positive effect on other crafts, such as that
of
shoemaking, which in Spain is centred in Alicante and the
Balearic Isles. Special mention should be made of the fashion
designers
in Ibiza, they have created a style all their own based
essentially on Balearic popular traditions and they have enjoyed
great
success with their collections. For the most part, their creations are made by hand with traditional
fabrics. Regarding purely decorative crafts, Spain also offers
a great variety of different products and schools.
Ceramics
First, thanks
to its wide-spread success, are ceramics, which are represented
with at least one unique type in each Spanish region. The
ceramics of Sargadelos, in Galicia, have benefited from the
search for
new styles and are now one of the leading avant-garde Spanish
schools. The ceramics made in Talavera de la Reina, more
conservative in style, are products that respect an age-old
tradition. The
production volume of this type of ceramics has made it one
of the most widely known Spanish crafts. Also important is
the Manises school of ceramics in Valencia, famous for the
metallic sheen of its crystal glasses. Together with ceramics,
glass making merits mention as well. Centred fundamentally
in the Balearic Isles, this craft is one of Spain's most
attractive because of its beauty.
Wooden Furniture
Traditional wooden furniture is well represented by the workshops
around Valencia. Castilla y Leon also excels in this sector,
with a style all it's own. Caceres, Granada and Murcia are
noteworthy for their beautiful, hand-woven rugs.
Iron Crafts
Finally, iron crafts constitute one of the decorative arts
associated with Spain. There are many different traditions
and schools, though the most outstanding on the merits of their
long traditions and quality are located in Castile. |
