The hand-hammered copper bathtubs at Santa Clara del Cobre are a work of art. They are something to touch and feel. And they are also a thing to awaken your instinctive sense of beauty. Each carving and each engraving is a spectacle of charm and mystery.
Santa Clara del Cobre
Santa Clara del Cobre will always be Mount Sinai of copper. They will always be the prodigal heirs of the mystery of this art. Every year, the valley hosts a competition to electrify the boilermaking community and remind them to improve their innovation through mutual growth and understanding. The competition is called the ‘National Hammered Copper Contest’ and it happens every year in Santa Clara.
Michoacan
The Michoacán mountain town is lined with copper shops on every corner culminating in the plaza, which of course has a copper gazebo. Each entrance is a gleaming and shining European-style hammered copper work of art, standing tall and proud of its master. However, the most prized possession of this small but abundant town is the beautiful texture and color of the raw copper found here as a natural mineral on these lands. Its unexpected beauty and distinctive finish surprise the observer.
Copper from Santa Clara del Cobre
Copper is available in the form of a sheet, tube and solid block to be chosen according to the elements to be formed. Copper is heated to a malleable state and fire is coaxed through huge furnaces to achieve this purpose. Now, chargers and plates are made by the hard work of hammering mallets of multiple sizes and designs on an L-shaped anvil to create vessels. They are also created on a shock mount.
A large vessel will be created after thousands of perfect hammer blows over a span of many days. Except for Sundays, Santa Clara is always filled with clinging hammer noises. The teacher will heat and reheat these containers in a nearby bathtub with the help of flip-flops. As the whistle confirms the heat of the vessel and the dangers of this art, these sights are a way of life and deep childhood memories for those who grew up in the area.
Santa Clara Copper is expensive, and perhaps even extravagant compared to the usual prices for folk art. However, copper is still an internationally traded product and prices are set every year in January. These pieces are priced first and foremost by weight, then by artistry and craftsmanship. A hammered copper bathtub is considered good quality if it has a thick circumference to match the art.