Mexican ironwood carvings
Mexican ironwood carving is a Mexican tradition of carving the wood of the
Olneya tesota is a slow growing important shade tree in northwest Mexico and the southwest U.S. The wood it produces is very dense and sinks in water. Traditionally, people used it for firewood and charcoal, and some carving.
The tradition of carving it began with the
Ironwood tree
The ironwood tree is considered native to the
The species is protected by the Mexican government because of its overexploitation and deterioration of habitat.[1] The plant is not considered in danger of extinction, as its range is over millions of hectares and with thousands of trees, however its slow growth and use in handcrafts and firewood puts it at some risk. In 1992, before it received government protection, 21,000 tons of the wood was converted into charcoal. Ninety percent of this charcoal was exported from Sonora to the United States. Today, carving is not the biggest danger to the tree but rather the conversion of desert into pasture and cropland.[1][2] Other efforts to conserve the tree include the establishment of organizations such as Pro Palo Fierro, to develop ways to use the resource in a sustainable manner. Since the plant is found in two countries, efforts involving the US have included organizations such as Conservation International and the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix.[2]
Use of the wood, including carving
Ironwood is similar to ebony, as it is dark, dense and very hard; its grain is very straight. For this reason there are few air bubbles and unlike other woods, ironwood sinks in water.[3] Before the carving of ironwood figures, this wood was used for firewood, the production of charcoal and the carving of items such as harpoons, other tools, musical instruments and toys.[4] Today, the wood’s main use in handcrafts is the creation of carved figures. These are mostly sold in the United States and Mexico and earn about a million dollars a year, far more than it did as the basis of charcoal.[2]
Two groups carve the wood. The first are the
The second group of producers is made up of town and city dwellers from Sonora and Baja California, who began carving after the figures became commercially popular. The latter group produces the figures in grand quantities due to their access to power tools.
History
The craft originated with the Seri people as a way to earn money from tourists. In the first half of the 20th century, the Seri were mostly confined to Tiburon Island, coming into Kino Bay seasonally to sell firewood, which included ironwood. In the mid 20th century, the traditional Seri economy was disrupted by shrimping in the
The first ironwood carver was Jose Astorga, who began by carving animals of pumice stone. His first work with ironwood is utilitarian, bowls, spoons, etc. His first decorative items were created between 1963 and 1964, focusing on sea animals that were popular with tourists. His daughter later became the first to sign her work.[4]
Commercial wax and other sanding methods were introduced in 1968. That same year, University of Arizona students began to make monthly trips to the Seri villages to buy the carvings, greatly increasing their popularity.[4] In the 1970s, the Mexican government began to promote and widely distribute the carvings leading to about half of the adult population engaged in the craft.[3][4]
Non Seris began carving in the 1970s, as the popularity of the craft grew, and introduced motorized cutting and carving methods in the 1980s as well as carving of animals not part of the Seri world.[3][4] In 1974, BANFOCO became a carving wholesaler with the aim of providing the Seris with a regular income.[4] In the 1980s, distribution extended into Canada and Japan.[3] The growth of the craft however, along with continued use of the wood for charcoal, started to decrease the supply of wood. In 1994 the ironwood tree became protected by the Mexican government, allowing its use only for carving.[3] By this time, the craft had spread into various parts of Sonora as well as the Baja California peninsula.[4] However, most ironwood carving is still done in Kino Bay, Caborca, Magdalena de Kino, Punta Chueca, Puerto Libertad, Puerto Peñasco, Santa Ana and Sonoyta.[3] The scarcity of the wood has caused its price to rise and production to fall. This in turn has made already existing pieces more valuable.[4]
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References
- ^ a b c "Palo Fierro" [Ironwood] (in Spanish). Hermosillo: Comisión de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable del Estado de Sonora. Archived from the original on October 8, 2012. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g Durand, Ift CA (July–September 1999). "El Palo Fierro: Especie clave del Desierto de Sonora" [Ironwood:Key species of the Sonora Desert] (PDF). Ciencias (in Spanish). 43. Mexico City: UNAM. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g Ángel Mendoza Cruz. "La artesanía de Palo fierro (Sonora)" [The handcrafts of ironwood (Sonora9] (in Spanish). Mexico City: Mexico Desconocido magazine. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Grinnell College Art Collection: Seri Ironwood Carvings" (PDF). Tucson: University of Arizona. 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 2, 2012. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
- ^ a b "Artesania Seri (Comca'ac): Palo Fierro" [Seri Handcrafts (Comca’ac): Ironwood] (in Spanish). Hermosillo: Lutisuc Asociación Cultural I.A.P. Retrieved March 15, 2012.