Filigree is the manufacture of jewelry and other objects, made from threads of gold or silver. This is a laborious task, because the metal threads are very fine.Writings from the prehispanic era reveal the pleasure the Maya had in the use of jewelry, made from various materials such as shells, snail shells, turquoise, jade, and metals such as gold and sometimes silver. However, the fact that there were no gold or silver mines in the peninsula makes the experts think that gold and silver jewelry was brought from places such as Oaxaca or the high central plains. For this reason, it is supposed that the Yucatecan tradition of working with gold and silver jewelry was introduced by Spanish artisans. The friars made objects for the churches and the Indians and Mestizos extended the skill to the making of jewelry.
This is how the tradition was born which lasts until today, among the Maya women, of using enamel jewels with Filigree, so characteristic of Yucatán. In the hacienda era it was customary for the owners to give the elderly nannies a gold filigree rosary as a symbol of gratitude. Today, the jewelry plays an important role in the savings of the Yucatecan Mestizas; in a financial emergency they sell them, pawn them, or use them for payment.
Source:
Casa de las Artesanías
Calle 63 between 64 and 66 Centro
(next to Monjas Church)
Monday to Saturday 10 am to 9 pm, Sunday 10 am to 2 pm.
http://artesanias.yucatan.gob.mx
Recomended reading:
– Yucatan Handcrafts
– La Casa de las Artesanias
– Embroidery in Yucatan
– Souvenirs from the Yucatan
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