Before you retire in Mexico, read this humorous, practical e-book.
Welcome to Mexico Vistas
Mexico Article
This is a selection made from among articles on Mexico. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for future reading, click here.
Copper Treasures in Mexico
from: Omar Vargas Traveling the world will take you to many places and in some of them you may even find treasures. But treasures are not always made of gold or diamonds. Treasures are also made of copper. And in Santa Clara del Cobre in the Mexican state of Michoacán you will understand why treasures are also made of this modest and noble metal.
Copper, the 29th element, is believed to have been mined for about 5000 years now accompanying humanity and civilization through most of his great technological accomplishments. In modern times copper is an ever present element in the electrical and electronic industry. But that’s not the only area of our modern lives where copper is present. Since ancient times Mexican artisans have used copper as a valuable material to fabricate beautiful and intrincate artisan works, among them there is one branch of artisans that combine practicality and art in their work. They are those dedicated to fabricate beautiful raw copper sinks in Santa Clara del Cobre.
These sinks are fabricated entirely by hand using the same ancient techniques of their indigenous ancestors. Even gas is forbidden to heat and soften the metal, they use only charcoal in small fires in the shops and helped by their inseparable hammer artisans give life and form to the copper plates placed into the fire. But this is not all, after getting the desired shape, the sinks surface has to be treated so that they will last and look like new for many years. For this they use a process called “patination” which is done under heat and that gives the surface of the copper sinks their characteristic color and durability.
Many people may think that copper sinks are soft or fragile but that’s not so. They are sturdy enough to substitute a regular, series made, stainless steel sink. It is sturdy enough that even bathtubs are fabricated entirely on copper. And due to the “patination” process they won’t acquire a greenish color or get rusty as those old pennies that didn’t have the luck of being “patinated”.
The charming town of Santa Clara is full of shops that work day after day to bring to life this wonderful pieces that are considered a national art. They are so proud of their skills that every corner is adorned with copper, even street lamps have their share of copper. If you ever have the chance to visit Mexico, make plans and include Santa Clara del Cobre in your schedule. Who knows and you may even end cooking in a copper pan and relaxing in your own copper tub while your dinner is being cooked under a copper kitchen hood.
About the Author
Author is a freelancer writer and webprenur living part-time in Mexico and the United States.
http://www.copper-sinks-mexico.com
 |
 |
Other Mexico related Articles
Mariachi Music - Origins
Vicente Fernandez
Do you want to contribute to our site : submit your articles HERE
Warning: file(http://www.searchfeed.com/rd/feed/TextFeed.jsp?trackID=P2127485710&pID=54656&cat=Mexico&nl=5&page=1&excID=) [function.file]: failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found
in /home/titanad/public_html/mexicovistas/datas/searchfeed.php on line 8
Mexico Specific links
Mexico News
Hurricane Bud forms off Mexico's Pacific coast -NHC - Reuters
 Globe and Mail | Hurricane Bud forms off Mexico's Pacific coast -NHC Reuters Bud expected to start weakening on Friday * Hurricane may not make landfall (Updates with Bud as hurricane) MEXICO CITY May 24 (Reuters) - Hurricane Bud formed off Mexico's Pacific coast early on Thursday, and could threaten parts of southwestern ... Hurricane Bud forms off Mexico Bud nears hurricane off Mexico's Pacific coast: NHC Mexico issues storm watch as Hurricane Bud forms in Pacific |
Mexico's PRI repudiates pol linked by US to cartel - Fox News
 Houston Chronicle | Mexico's PRI repudiates pol linked by US to cartel Fox News Mexico's PRI, poised to retake the presidency this year after more than a decade in opposition, sought on Wednesday to distance itself from a prominent party member accused by US authorities of taking bribes from drug cartels. Mexico political party suspends former official in drug-money scandal Mexico Party Suspends ex-Governor Over Probe Mexico opposition party chides ex-governor in drug probe |
Mexico, Kazakhstan, Ukraine bought gold in April - MarketWatch
Mexico, Kazakhstan, Ukraine bought gold in April MarketWatch By Rhiannon Hoyle SYDNEY (MarketWatch) -- Mexico, Kazakhstan and the Ukraine were active buyers in the gold market last month, while the Philippines' central bank lifted its gold reserves by more than one million troy ounces in the month prior, ... |
Mexico's PRI eyes jump-start to reforms if victorious-aide - Reuters
 The Guardian | Mexico's PRI eyes jump-start to reforms if victorious-aide Reuters By Dave Graham and Adriana Barrera | MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's main opposition faction hopes to secure support for energy, fiscal and labor market reforms by December if its candidate who is well ahead in the polls wins the presidency, ... 1000s of students protest media in Mexico |
Mexico seeks new tourists despite drug wars - Reuters
 The Malaysian Insider | Mexico seeks new tourists despite drug wars Reuters By Victoria Bryan | FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Mexico is relying on travellers from countries like Russia and Brazil to boost its tourism numbers this year after the drug war plaguing the country deterred US visitors, its largest source of tourists. Mexico confident about strength of European economies |
