| In Ibiza, attractive skilled
crafts embrace not only the indigenous artistry of the Island, based principally
on ceramics but also the exciting new articles that different artists have
been producing over the years in the street markets that abound in almost
all the villages and coastal areas. These are made from leather, and metals
as well as clothing.
Fine examples of historical
and traditional crafts are to be found in the Ethnological Museum in Santa
Eulària, located at Puig de Missa -which is itself well worth a
visit. The works of traditional craftsmen in jewellery (worn with such
distinction by the women in the typical Island dances) or in clay and ceramic
can be seen in specialist shops.
Side by side with this craftsmanship,
whose roots are lost in time, are the new Ibizan crafts.
Fashions, leather work, ceramics,
costume jewellery and jewellery creations of every kind made for visitors
by Ibizan artisans. There is a craft fair in Ibiza town during Holy Week
and in autumn.
As for ceramics, the most
traditional area for such work is Sant Rafel. Its workshops fabricate high
quality pieces ranging from the decorative to the purely practical - crockery
and other articles for domestic use, for example.
There are also numerous potteries
lining the road from Ibiza to Santa Eulària.
Ibizan fashions which enjoy
a well-deserved international reputation are one of the most habitual purchases
of the Island visitors. Internationally known as adlib fashion, it is characterised
by the colour white, hippy-style designs and lightweight fabrics such as
cotton or linen.
A fashion show is held every
year in the capital, attended by numerous personalities associated with
the world of show business where the Island designers display their latest
creations inspired, as always, by the adlib style.
The cosmopolitan nature of
Ibiza is also to be seen in its art - prestigious galleries offer the visitor
the opportunity to purchase works by avant-garde artists, both local and
national, but also by foreign artists who have chosen to work in Ibiza.
The old quarter of Ibiza
town, known as Dalt Vila, houses a number of these galleries, many of which
hold periodic exhibitions.
All of which offer art for
all tastes and pockets.
Street markets are plentiful
in the Island. In many cases, these are stalls that have inherited the
traditions of the Ibiza of the sixties and seventies, the hippy times.
Here, it is usual to find all kinds of objects, basketry, silverware, costume
jewellery, fashions, musical instruments and, most particularly, espardenyes
the typical Island footwear made from esparto.
In summer (up to October,
more or less), there are markets on Wednesdays in Punta Arabí (Es
Canar), Fridays in the Bahamas Complex at Playa d'en Bossa, and every day
in Ibiza town harbour.
The markets at Sant Carles
(Saturdays) and Santa Eulària in the Paseo de la Almeda (everyday
except Wednesdays and Sundays) are open all year round. |
