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Handmade
Spanish Ceramics
Ceramica
Gabarron is one of those places that you could walk straight
past and not know it was there. Hidden away in a small
back street in the heart of Guadix town in the Granada
province of Andalucia Ceramica Gabarron really is a hidden
gem producing some thoroughly artisan pieces from ceramic
tapas bowls to sculptures and renovation of century old
Spanish wine vats or "tinajas".
View
the range > > >
The
business is run by Juan Manuel; working by himself he
produces all of his pieces by hand from sculpting, firing,
glazing and painting. From the outside you first notice
a courtyard brimming with old reclaimed items, its not
until you look further back that you notice some spectacular
artwork painted on tiles which are proudly displayed either
side of his workshop doors. Through the doors you are
welcomed with shelves packed full of all manner of ceramics,
serving bowls, chupitas, vases, cazuelas as well as some
very large sculptures traditional to the town of Guadix.
Juan
Manuel sits behind his work bench almost covered head
to toe in clay, an array of tools lie scattered on the
wooden work top alongside buckets of water, sponges and
cylindrical pieces of pure clay. We realised immediately
that we were lucky to have found this little back street
business; people had sung his praises for quality ceramics
so we had to find out more. From a Spanish artisan point
of view it simply doesn't get much better.
Juan
Manuel talks us through the whole process, the tools he
uses, the glazing, types of products, why he makes them
and how long he has been producing his ceramics. Impressive
to say the least each piece is made by hand so no two
items are exactly the same - an attractive feature in
itself as we enjoy rustic and where possible refrain from
mass produced items. Juan's ceramics fit the bill perfectly
both in quality and by the very manner in which they are
produced.
Pieces
available:
- Glazed
Plates
- Tapas
Servers
- Ceramic
Platters
- Chupitas
(small drinking vessels)
- Olive
servers
- Gazpacho
bowls
Of
course many of the ceramics come in different shapes and
sizes; one trait though is Juan's signature terracotta
brown and green glazing. Each piece is finished with a
hand painted jade green rim, a design typical to the local
area and unique to Ceramica Gabarron.
The
town of Guadix is also famous for its cave dwellings and
across the road from Juan Manuels worshop is his cave
"museum". The museum had been in the family
for generations, originally a simple cave dwelling it
has been converted into a spectacular tourist attraction.
The cave rooms are packed with traditional antique ceramics,
one room boasts a well and another has an enormous terracotta
wine tinaja dug into the floor. Walking through the rear
of the museum you can see an entire wall carved to resemble
a miniature "barrio de cuevas" - the original
cave district of the town, carefully hand painted to the
smallest detail.
The
museum has an Aladdin's "cave" of ceramics in
its shop all made by Juan Manuel and also an abundance
of hand woven esparto grass and other traditional Spanish
crafts. One of only a handful of old cave museums in Andalucia
this cave in Guadix is well worth a visit, completely
unique, very interesting and run by a typically friendly
Spanish family.
A
word on "Tinajas"
Tinajas
are earthenware wine vats and come in many different sizes
and are made by hand from earthenware stone. Traditional
Spanish cellars or "bodegas" used to have many
tinajas, lined up to store wine and water. The Spanish
tinaja can be up to eight feet tall and five feet wide
and is usually supported on three legs which are usually
clad with a very large heavy roof tile. Enscriptions on
tinajas can date back to the 1600's and are sometimes
accompanied by an elaborate design depicting the family
or local crest. Not many tinajas remain intact and there
has recently been a revival in their restoration. As a
ceramic vessel they have, over the years been broken up
to allow for bodega conversions into living accommodation
or similar, however if you are lucky enough to visit an
old bodega tinajas are usually displayed pride of place
next to modern wine racks below in the cellar.
Own
a restaurant or tapas bar? Need custom ceramics?
Our man Juan Manuel can hand paint your company/restaurant
name onto his range of ceramics.
Discover more >
> >
©
Copyright 2010 Orce Serrano Hams - www.orceserranohams.com
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