Traditional metal working in Mexico dates from the Mesoamerican period with metals such as gold, silver and copper. Other metals were mined and worked starting in the colonial period. The working of gold and silver, especially for jewelry, initially declined after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. However, during the colonial period, the working of metals rose again and took on much of the character traditional goods still have. Today, important metal products include those from silver, gold, copper, iron, tin and more made into jewelry, household objects, furniture, pots, decorative objects, toys and more. Important metal working centers include Taxco for silver, Santa Clara del Cobre for copper, Celaya for tin and Zacatecas for wrought iron.
History
Prehispanic period
Metal working in Mesoamerica, especially of silver, gold and copper was advanced by the time the Spanish arrived, mostly concentrated in the modern states of Michoacán, Oaxaca and Guerrero. The mining and working of metals probably came to Mesoamerican cultures from the south. Metal working was principally in gold, silver, tin and lead, with some copper work known in what is now Michoacán. Gold was generally obtained in powder or pellet form in rivers and streams from various sites in Guerrero, Oaxaca, Michoacán, the Central Highlands and the Mayan region. As silver rarely appeared on the surface it was almost exclusively mined. In the pre Hispanic period, metals were used to create needles, punches, tweezers, weapons and musical instrument but its most important uses, especially gold and silver, was as jewelry for the social elite and as offerings to the gods. Gold and silver were worked by hammering, plating and molds the blending of these and some casting was known. One pre Hispanic technique was to hammer metal flat, punch out a design and then layer this design over wood or leather, often used on shields. Silver was less used in the pre Hispanic period as it was less valued as tribute. It did not have the same divine symbolic value that gold did. The use of copper was almost exclusive to the Purépecha Empire in what is now Michoacán when the Spanish arrived. Copper instruments included axes, hoes, scythes, punches, chisels, needles, pins, arrowheads, brooches, canes, handles, helmets, shields and small bells.
Colonial period
According to tradition, one of the first gifts that Hernán Cortés received from Moctezuma II was a pair of discs, one in gold and one in silver, which represented the sun and moon respectively. The existence of gold and silver in Mexico was one of the main attractions for the Spanish in the New World, with the conquest of the Aztec Empire and subsequent exploration with the aim of finding more of these precious metals. Mining and metal working became a main aspect of the economy of colonial Mexico. Most of the emphasis was on the mining of gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, platinum and tin with much of the metal, especially gold, shipped to Spain. Initially, the working of metals in the new colony was heavily restricted or outright banned for several reasons, including protection of Spanish metal guilds, the fact that the work did not contribute to royal taxes and the fear that the indigenous would make weapons. However, these soon became impractical to enforce with the restrictions then only to the making of objects related to indigenous religion. The Spanish introduced new metalworking techniques, especially the promoting of copper work by Vasco de Quiroga in Michoacan and various metals by Pedro de Gante in Mexico City and eventually indigenous craftsmen competed with European ones. Most of Mexican colonial metal work copied that in Spain, which was Gothic in style and later Renaissance. These styles eventually defined the handcraft work of areas such as Oaxaca, Zacatecas, Durango, San Luis Potosí and Guanajuato. However, after the Conquest, the making of jewelry in Mexico nearly disappeared, with precious metals shipped to Spain. Only after 1551, with the establishment of a Mexican upper class, did this return slowly. At first Spanish craftsmen arrived to work European methods including filigree, repoussé and chasing, engraving and the incrustation of precious stones. But during the colonial period, these craftsmen never reached the level of their contemporaries in Europe. Indigenous craftsmen were relegated in this area to producing cheaper jewelry with lesser metals. One exception to the relative lack of precious metal work was that in silver, which became more important over the colonial period after the start of trade with Asia in the 17th century. Mexico's abundance made silver an important form of currency and silver working guilds gained prestige and power, mostly in the creation of coins, silverware, religious medallions, crosses and liturgical items. Indigenous silver jewelry often became marked by the use of silver coins as decoration. Trade with the Orient introduced elements to silver pieces such as pearls (later augmented by those found in the Gulf of California), turtle shell and colored glass from Europe. The last was particularly popular with indigenous communities. One item that was important in the 18th century were cigarette and snuff cases made of both silver and gold, as the habit of using tobacco became very fashionable among the upper classes. The creation of the cases waned in the 19th as lower classes began to use tobacco as well.
Independence to the present
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