In
this province craftsmanship has had a long historical evolution.
Pottery comes from two main areas: the north mainly Hinojosa del
Duque and Pozoblanco where the clay has a high content of iron
and
grains of mica which give the pottery a reddish colour with small
metallic grains and the south where the loam has a high content
of calcium. After baking the vessels are a pinky yellow that, if
salt is previously added, would be a brilliant white.
Particularly remarkable are the small ewers from La Rambla, the
earthenware vats from Lucena, the pitchers and earthenware scoops
used in waterwheels from Baena and the flower pots from Alcolea
del Rio. Potters are now using the designs, techniques and decorative
motifs once used by the caliphs. Plates, bottles and bowls are made
decorated with geometrical, vegetable and animal forms and words
in Cufic.
Cordoba now has the making of jewellery as one of its mainstays
of the economy where silversmiths work with both gold and silver,
in the many workshops in the town and their designs go from the
most classical earrings and rings to the more modern contemporary
creations sometimes using new materials.
Leather
goods are also well known in Cordoba and is handled in family
workshops
in the town itself where the old embossing techniques are still
used. The last packsaddlers in the province work in Baena where
a variety of things are made for the horses such as headstalls,
cinches etc. Almodovar del Rio is known for its saddlers. Montero
is famous for its handmade shoes, boots, bags, pouches, cartridge
belts and gun cases. In Cordoba, gold as well as silk and silver
embroidery on velvet is still available which is also well known
for its guitars.
Lucena is
the most famous town in Andalucia for furniture. Local cottage
industry
craftsmanship does still exist but you are more likely to find
modern factory showrooms selling direct to the public at very
reasonable
prices.
