Local Crafts
During the whole centuries-old history of Rhodopi people, crafts like weaving, coppersmith’s trade, wood carving, manufacturing of textiles and others were their daily occupation. People made a living by working in these industries and trades, which were a source of beauty, of inspired mastery and of spiritual warmth. Even nowadays, when you visit any of the Rhodopi village, you can see a lady, bending over an old wooden knitting loom and weaving into the texture wool fibers of all rainbow colors, demonstrating good feeling of harmony, or you can see a man there knocking adeptly on the exquisite copper jug.
Rhodopi artisans demonstrate big skills and agility in all crafts, making rare specimens of folk art. But men in the Rhodopi mountain demonstrate biggest mastery and artistic feeling in the coppersmith’s and in the goldsmith’s trade and the Rhodopi mountain women are best at weaving.
Over the centuries, local coppersmiths used all the properties of the copper as a flexible material. Having immaculate feeling for symmetry and rhythm, they create a common formula, balance volumes and individual details.
And while only Rhodopi mountain men work as coppersmiths, Rhodopi mountain women are very good at weaving. All products of their weaving reveal artistic virtuosity and exquisite taste for colors and composition. You will admire the richness of tints and nuances in their works! The products of their weaving simply shine and attract your attention for a long time. The French painter Matis, who has visited Bulgaria, looked carefully at local weaved fabrics, being astounded by their tint magic. He travelled from Paris to the Rhodopi mountain to see these things and managed to use the local perception of colors in his masterpieces. When he was back to France, Bulgarian painters asked his from where he has got inspiration for such successful combination of colors and Matis answered: “I drew my inspiration from your home country, from the Rhodopi mountain…Women there make so many incredible things.”
Rhodopi crafts are an incredible combination of ancient magical beliefs and knowledge and skills acquired over the centuries by generations, as the agility of men’s and women’s hands is also a part of this combination, perfected over the centuries and every craftsman uses all his talent, when doing his job.
You will see the beauty of nature with its weird shapes and different tints in the works of Rhodopi masters, as all materials used-stone and wood, iron and copper, silver and gold, wool and linen, silk and gold lace are of excellent quality.
The works of Rhodopi masters are authentic, picturesque and practical, as they have always tried to satisfy the needs of the people living in the Rhodopi mountain and in the neighboring Aegean Thrace. Today, these works create comfort in our daily life and remind us of existing traditions, of the magic of past and ancient times and reincarnate incredible mountain stories, myths and legends.
