Shakespeare once wrote that “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” But some roses don’t smell at all. They are not born of water, soil, and sunshine – they are cut, soldered, and shaped from copper disks. And yet, each petal is unique, formed with the same care and patience that a skilled gardener would give any living flower.
It’s true they cannot perfume the air, but they still possess a delicate beauty – one that might make even Shakespeare, wandering down the cobbled streets of Loulé, pause outside the old copper shop, peer inside, and perhaps reconsider what makes a rose, a rose.
Meet the artist
When I first met Heinz-Jürgen Cramer, I quickly got the impression that this was a man who could turn his hands to just about anything. In Germany, among many other things, he worked in the automobile industry as head of a workshop for motor and armoured vehicles. As an engineer, he dedicated himself to the construction of machine parts.
In 2000, he and his wife moved to Portugal, where he started a renewable energy business. Now retired, he is one of the few talented coppersmiths keeping the craft alive in Loulé’s charming Oficina de Caldeireiros.
Not exactly where you might expect to find a German craftsman. How did this all come about? Well, I think it’s best if we go back in time a little …
Rekindling the craft
Loulé has a rich history of working with copper – making cataplanas, pots, pans, bracelets, chandeliers, cups, and all manner of beautiful handmade things. Sadly, this craft seemed all but extinct as the door of the last copper shop clanged shut.
Enter Loulé Criativo, a cultural initiative established in 2014 to preserve and promote the region’s traditional arts – often by finding imaginative artists and artisans who take the old ways and give them a fresh, modern twirl.
Just when coppershops seemed like a thing of the past, Loulé Criativo rediscovered master artisan Analide Joaquim Correia do Carmo. Senhor Analide became a master coppersmith at just 26, after 14 years of training at Caldeiraria Barracha, one of Loulé’s most renowned workshops. After a 35-year hiatus, he agreed to pick up the hammer again – this time in the very space that once housed the Caldeiraria Louletana (which was originally led by master craftsman Ilídio António Marques).
But one man couldn’t do it all alone – and that’s where we find ourselves neatly back at our botanical coppersmith: Jürgen.
Tradition in Bloom
Jürgen told me he also enjoys working with wood because it’s faster, but he’s always had a particular passion for metal. He has long admired Portuguese traditional crafts, and was saddened to see them disappearing. In 2016, he attended an artisanal coppersmithing course with Senhor Analide. There, he learned the traditional techniques of working with copper and brass. He hasn’t put down the hammer ever since. Today, he is one of four artisans working at the coppershop.
It’s for this reason that, if Shakespeare were back in town, he might come across Jürgen’s roses poking their heads out of the workshop door – perhaps looking for sunlight.
Jürgen showed me his cataplanas (those large copper pots used for cooking) and a whole host of other traditional pieces he learned to make under Senhor Analide. Although he enjoys creating these classic, functional works, what he truly loves is designing new pieces – creating contemporary, creative twists on tradition.
He says that perhaps it’s his engineering background, but he relishes the process of planning and designing something new, then seeing it gradually take shape in his hands.
Put another way, for Jürgen, tradition is the soil – but invention is the bloom.
The clearest expression of this is, of course, his roses. Each one, he told me, takes about four days to make. Starting life as simple copper disks, they are heated, hammered, and gently coaxed into delicate, natural forms – each petal slightly different, each flower entirely unique.
Copper and candlelight
Jürgen also creates an array of inventive lamps, as well as bracelets, rings, curly wine stoppers, and – with Christmas fast approaching – copper Christmas tree pendants, stars, and even an Advent candlestick.
Being somewhat old-school, I’m afraid I can’t really tell you where to follow this botanical bloomsmith online. All I can say is this: if you’re interested in Jürgen’s work, pay him a visit at the Oficina de Caldeireiros – he’s there on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Loulé Criativo will also be holding their Christmas Bazaar at the Palácio Gama Lobo from 6–23 December, and a Christmas Crafts Fair near the Convento de Santo António from 6–8 December.
Merry Christmas!
www.loulecriativo.pt
Main photo courtesy of Loulé Criativo
