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Guide Crafts in Spain - Spanish Traditional Crafts

Spanish crafts are very beautiful and interesting. Spanish crafts, the varied production of which is the fruit of centuries-old traditions, constitutes a tourist attraction of great importance. There is a great deal of specialised business activity in this sector in practically every Spanish city, especially in the tourist areas.

There are many popular folk crafts. Some folk crafts are lace work, pottery, and leather work. Many folk crafts are made for the children. Some have to do with religion. Many of the spanish crafts are bright and colorful.

Leather & Textiles
Among the outstanding traditional Spanish crafts made in Spain are leather products, produced in many different regions though the Andalucian leatherwork is especially renowned for the excellent quality of its leather and its up-to-date, painstaking designs. The recent boost experienced by Spanish fashion designers has consolidated the prestige of this sector and had a positive effect on other crafts, such as that of shoemaking, which in Spain is centred in Alicante and the Balearic Isles. Special mention should be made of the fashion designers in Ibiza, they have created a style all their own based essentially on Balearic popular traditions and they have enjoyed great success with their collections.

For the most part, their creations are made by hand with traditional fabrics. Regarding purely decorative crafts, Spain also offers a great variety of different products and schools.

Ceramics
A Spanish craft which are well represented, thanks there wide-spread success, are ceramics, they are well represented with at least one unique type in each Spanish region. The ceramics of Sargadelos, in Galicia, have benefited from the search for new styles and are now one of the leading avant-garde Spanish schools. The ceramics made in Talavera de la Reina, more conservative in style, are products that respect an age-old tradition. The production volume of this type of ceramics has made it one of the most widely known Spanish crafts. Also important is the Manises school of ceramics in Valencia, famous for the metallic sheen of its crystal glasses. Together with ceramics, glass making merits mention as well. Centred fundamentally in the Balearic Isles, this craft is one of Spain's most attractive because of its beauty.

Wooden Furniture
Traditional wooden furniture is a Spanish craft that is well represented by the workshops around Valencia. Castilla y Leon also excels in this sector, with a style all it's own. Caceres, Granada and Murcia are noteworthy for their beautiful, hand-woven rugs.

Iron Crafts
Iron crafts constitute one of the decorative arts associated with Spanish crafts. There are many different traditions and schools, though the most outstanding on the merits of their long traditions and quality are located in Castile.