Sections of San Cristobal de las Casas
ACCOMMODATIONS
ARCHEOLOGY
ARTS AND CRAFTS
ATTRACTIONS AND HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE
ECOTOURISM AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS EVENTS
FESTIVALS AND TRADITIONS
GASTRONOMY
MUSEUMS
NIGHTLIFE
SHOPPING

ARTS AND CRAFTS
In San Cristobal de las Casas you can buy quality handicrafts, including beautiful wool garments, textiles and embroidered items. In some of the neighborhoods, such as El Carrillo and La Merced, you’ll find forged steel objects, wax sculptures and silver and amber jewelry. A good place to purchase crafts is the Casa de Artesanias (Crafts House) on Avenue Hidalgo.

Crafts:
Crafts are all the manifestations that people have produced through the ages and are present every moment because they are the root of our cultural identity. In Chiapas various craft skills based on an antique Pre-Hispanic tradition continue to be used for production.

Textiles:
In this region outstanding textiles for ceremonial use and for everyday life are made of wool or cotton, and they are unique to every location and town in which they are produced. All are woven in a back-strap loom, and adorned with brocades and embroidery.

Codices and other documents indicate the type of garments used in pre-Hispanic times, the earliest findings of which show ancient apparel from about 1500 B.C. The apparel of the Tzozil and Tzetzal indigenous people from the Chiapas Highlands varies with each group, and is produced with different techniques, materials and designs that identify and differentiate them. Apparel is a symbol of identity and of belonging to a certain ethnic group.

Clothing is an artistic and cultural statement indicating the different positions and offices that an indigenous person performs within his community. The materials used are cotton and hairs or feathers from different animals, although in the 15th century, the Spaniards introduced wool and silk as well as the foot-pedal loom - which did not and has not, replaced the back-strap loom. Within the range of these textiles the most outstanding are the open-work (deshilado) embroidery (bordado) and the woven-in brocades used in garments or tablecloths that preserve elements of the indigenous decorations passed from generation to generation. All the textiles are made with a back-strap loom, a very unique pre-Hispanic instrument, similar to a handmade frame with wooden sticks in which a web of base or woof threads are strung; the warp threads are then dexterously interwoven with a comb, creating the brocade. The white linen cloth for skirts and huipiles (shirts) are also made with cotton thread in the back-strap loom.

Huipil Garments of Magdalenas:
In this small Tzotzil community within the municipality of San Andres Larrainzar, 25 km (15.6 miles) northeast of San Cristobal de Las Casas, the huipiles are true works of art, similar to oriental tapestries. They are made on back-strap looms with cotton or wool threads tinted with natural dyes, creating beautiful rhombic brocades on the front, back and sleeves. The time necessary to create them ranges from 8 to 10 months.

It is here where the ritualistic and symbolic comes into play in these garments that reflect the world of ritual, magic and ceremony, and where we find elements of luxury. It is here in Magdalena that it is an honor for a woman to make a ceremonial huipil for a virgin, whether as a gift or use by the wife of the village steward. The entire process of making the huipil is a ritual of blessing the threads and the combs; the virgin will be in touch with the consciousness of the weaver, through her fingertips, so she doesn't make any errors in this important job she is going to perform. The garments used to dress the statues of the saints and the huipiles (ritual textiles) of the virgins are kept in the "bulto" (bundle) or "tilma" (linen sheets that cover the shoulders and are also used to distinguish among those who have already performed a service to the community or carried the "bulto"). The "bearer of the bulto" is designated for this duty for one year and is also the custodian of the ritual objects (loom, spindle etc.). The current village steward safeguards these objects, in order present them to the saints, previously perfumed with incense, and they are used to beautify the processions of those celestial images.

Woodworking:
The manufacture of popular toys as a household objects and products for is often inspired by attitudes and circumstances in everyday life. They are made of various materials such as clay, wood, tin, natural fibers, cardboard and paper. But in San Cristobal de Las Casas, woodworking predominates, and the toys are exemplary of the elaborate work that the craftsmen produce with great mastery, from furniture to kitchen utensils and musical instruments.

Boxes and coffers are made from split wood colorfully painted by hand with flower motifs on a pink background, and are also used to elegantly present the regional candies of cajeta de membrillo (quince jelly) and camote (candied yam). With the introduction of the wood lathe, a variety of toys are now being manufactured, such as a spinning tops and games as "baleros," "maromero," "trepatemicos," and birds on wheels propelled with a stick, fighting cocks, trucks and an endless number of typical toys made by the craftsmen of Guadalupe district, where throughout the streets are stores and booths full of colorful crafts.

On Holy Saturday the popular Judas figures are always evidence during the traditional Burning of Judas night, when giant puppets representing funny and wicked famous political figures come out. At Christmastime, the famous piñatas are displayed filled with the seasonal fruits, brightening the traditional "posada" parties.

Metalwork: Wrought iron (Decorative and utilitarian):
This is the technique of transforming metals into objects and instruments for daily use and decoration. This metal craft was brought by the Spaniards and there are two primary techniques: forging and hammering. Forging requires an open pit fire and bellows to heat the metal making it malleable, and then it is shaped with the hammer blows.

Colonial-style wrought iron works are very fashionable in the construction industry, used for balconies, window grates, benches, street lights and lamps etc., and it is in the El Cerrillo District of San Cristobal de Las Casas where doors, knockers, windows, lamps and chandeliers and the typical "Cruces de Pasión" (Crosses of the Passion) are forged in different sizes, styles, shapes and figures in which each craftsman imprints his own personal design.

During the colonial period, these crosses, representing the Passion of Christ with all their figures, were set on the roofs of houses as a protection against evil and as an emblem of faith. Currently they are sold to collectors as decorations to embellish the corridors of old mansions transformed into hotels with colonial charm.

Waxworks (Candles):
Candles made out of wax or paraffin have become indispensable elements in rites and religious ceremonies. They are also made for decorative purposes, to embellish tables or chandeliers. Exquisitely beautiful works of wax art can be found in the La Merced District. The artisans' hands transform the paraffin into subtle flowers with delicate leaves, sprinkled with gold dust, adorning temples and altars or beautifying processions of virgins and saints through the city's plazas and streets.

Saddlery:
This craft, of Spanish precedents, is still practiced in San Cristobal de Las Casas. It consists of the elaboration of various objects from leather or animal skin, which is engraved and hammered. First the leather goes through the tannery process to preserve it and make it pliable, and then it is transformed into handsome wallets, belts, bags, portfolios, suitcases, caps, hats etc. in various sizes and designs according to each craftsman's taste. Of great importance also is the riding saddle and other articles used in the "charro" (Mexican rodeo), which take place in La Frailesca District. The participants of the charro come here to order or buy these products.

Tinwork:
Tinwork is a craft inherited from Spain. It is a simple technique compared with other metal works; its tools are not complicated, being mainly shears to cut the thin sheets of tin, scissors, punches, chisels and soldering tools. At the municipal market in San Cristobal it is common to find useful tinwork pieces such as chandeliers, strainers, funnels, heating plates, oil lamps, mirrors, trays etc. where the intended use is practical more than ornamental and its price accessible.

Silversmith and Sculpture with Amber and Jade:
Amber is a fossil resin that dates back 40 million years, of predominantly yellow color, hard, brittle, translucent, warm to the touch and aromatic. Amber takes us back to ancient cultures where it had a ritualistic and magic role as a charm for children against the "evil eye" and bearer of good luck.

In the mines at Totolapa and Simojobel this resin is extracted, which after being polished becomes a jewel, unique because of its shape, color, and composition. Its market value depends on its size, color or the number of insects or plants trapped inside. With an appropriate polish it can be made into beads for earrings or necklaces, rings, clasps, bracelets etc. Some jewelry pieces show the typical yellow color but there are others outstanding for their reddish, green or blue tones which, combined with silver or gold, result in exquisite works from San Cristobal's silversmiths.

Amber is an ideal material for sculpture and in San Cristobal there are extraordinary sculptors who create true art works of art.

Since pre-Hispanic times, jade has been regarded as an exquisite stone of great value and symbol of economic power. Among the Aztecs it was know as "chalchihuite."

Jade is a mineral formed in the earth's crust some 400 million years ago. In Chiapas there are deposits in the municipality of Chalchihuitan ("Land of Jade") about 50 km (31 miles) to the northeast of San Cristobal de Las Casas. Because of its hardness, it can only be worked with industrial diamond tools, and can be given a shiny or matt finish.

Recycled Paper (Taller Leñateros):
The Taller de Leñateros was founded in San Cristobal more than 20 years ago and is a Cooperative Crafts Union composed of men and women of indigenous or mixed descent, who produce handmade paper from the raw materials of several species of flowers, grasses, lichens, banana trees, bark, bamboo and diverse clothes. In addition to producing paper, they print books, serigraphs, and wood engravings, and edit the periodical "La Jicara" a true work of art that, in the form of pictographic codes, presents the best of original contemporary literature, stories, songs and traditions. It contains original engravings, with each number presenting novel and creative ideas. Guided tours and courses are offered, about the use of plants and how to extract dyes from them in order to make paper. The Taller is located at Flavio A. Paniagua street, number 54 in the El Cerrillo District.

Fiber Accoutrements:
"Jarcería" is a weaving technique done with any natural fiber or soft bark of vegetable origin such as rattan, palm, straw and several types of grass used in the creation of decorative or utilitarian objects for daily life such as hammocks, nets, mats, hats, handbags and rope. The artistic value of these fiber accoutrements depends on the design and the craftsman's aptitude. Unlike typical baskets, which are woven uniformly, these handcrafted products are fabricated with the fibers slightly turned in a spiral to give shape to the ropes or cords and in many cases the fibers are tinted with natural dyes. At San Cristobal's municipal market and along Real de Guadalupe Street you a great variety of these products are offered for sale, priced according to their design, style, shape, color and size.

Basket-Weaving:
The abundance of natural fibers such as palm in Chiapas has given rise to one of the oldest handcrafts, basket-weaving. Basket-weaving can be defined as a series of techniques by which relatively hard elements are woven to produce containers and flat objects. Vegetable fibers are mostly woven by hand, although sometimes a sharp tool is used to tighten the weaving and a knife is used to cut the material. Other times a needle is used to bind together different sections of the weaving. In general, craftsmen use both hands and feet to weave and some times even the teeth are used to tighten and bend the fiber. In San Juan Chamula, two different materials are used in basketry, bamboo for the weaving and sticks from a thorny plant called "mecate" used for framing the basket. In Zinacantan and Tenejapa palm hats decorated with ribbon are woven. The time to produce them is about seven weeks and they are hand stitched. Various utilitarian items include baskets, panniers, mats, rugs, etc. Because they are lightweight, woven containers can be used to transport food and other types of products. Related to these products are the fiber accoutrements.
 

For prices, reservations, availability and bookings, please contact us at: visit@luxuriousmexico.com