Crafts from El Salvador – Let’s take the Artisan TourThe crafts from El Salvador are very well represented by the Artisan Tour.  Custom Search So we took the tour and it covers the towns of La Palma El Salvador, San Sebastian in San Vicente El Salvador, Ilobasco and Suchitoto. It’s interesting that these towns have their own specialty in crafts. But whether it’s clay, wood, painting or weaving they all offer an awesome experience. Ilobasco El SalvadorIlobasco is located in the department of Cabañas and has always been well known for the making of crafts out of clay – that is miniature size crafts! 
Clay crafts from El Salvador are very unique, Dominga Herrera specialized in the art of miniature figurines that in El Salvador are called "Sorpresas" or "Surprises".And surprised you will be when you hold that piece of finished miniature pottery in your hand and see all the details. As you can see in the picture here, the "big" owl is only about 5cm high so you can imagine how small the other "baby" owls are. Dominga Herrera's art of miniature pottery has become so popular in El Salvador that The Museum of Popular Art houses an exhibition of her work. 
The interesting thing is that the clay figurines are taken from every day customs and lifestyle.As you can see in the picture here, the women in the Sorpresas are making tortillas and selling at the market. To make something this small with such detail is really remarkable. I remember that when I was a young child and went to Ilobasco I would always ask my mom to buy me a set of clay pots, pans and dishes so I could play with them when I got home. They were like the real thing except tiny... There are many pottery workshops in Ilobasco El Salvador where you can see the artists at work. Many of them also have small shops where visitors can buy what they want. Ilobasco does not have many options for accommodation but because it is only about 1 hour from San Salvador, a day trip is quite easy to make. San Sebastián - San Vicente El SalvadorSan Sebastián is a small picturesque town about 20 minutes from San Vicente. This beautiful town specializes in the art of weaving. The Spaniards introduced the loom in this area but the people of San Sebastián have really given it their own touch. 
What I really like is that everything they make can have some really beautiful designs in bright colours. I have a bed sheet for example that has a huge dove right in the center. The colours used are pink, red, white and yellow - it becomes the center piece on by bed! 
We used to have a couple of hammocks at home and of course living so close in Vicente El Salvador, mom would go to San Sebastián and buy the hammocks there.She would end up buying table cloths, and bed sheets as well. It's really amazing to see what the industrious people of San Sebastián can do with a loom! San Sebastián is a very small town so a day trip from San Salvador or San Vicente will do. And since you would be in the area already, maybe visit San Vicente or the Laguna de Apastepeque for a relaxing afternoon! The Artisan Tour is really nice and it also helped me to learn more about the different types of arts and crafts from El Salvador. The Artisan Tour includes other towns like La Palma and Suchitoto that also have a lot to offer when it comes to crafts from El Salvador. Other Tours to take in El Salvador... The Flowers Tour The Archeology Tour - Explore the ancient ruins in El Salvador... The Beach Tour - Visit the beautiful beaches... The Tour of A Thousand Summits Related Topics... El Salvador Art - Arts, crafts and poets of El Salvador... History - Read a little background history... Questions, Answers and Comments - Have you visited any of these places? Tell us what you think... Would you like to receive our El Salvador Adventures newsletter? Sign up here, it's free!
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