BALEARIC HANDICRAFTS

During a dinner at a friends’ house, I came across an old book on craftsmanship in Mallorca, an authentic guide – complete with addresses and names – listing many of the ancient trades present in the island’s local communities, small businesses dedicated to the production of excellent agri-food products, typical crafts, from wood to leatherwork, from ceramics to wrought iron, which formed the maps of a genuine cultural heritage.

‘La guía de la artesanía de Baleares’ (translated, “The guide to Balearic craftsmanship”) is an important testimony to the many crafts that are now on the verge of extinction and shows how, in the 40 years since its publication, the economic and social fabric of the island has unfortunately changed substantially. Googling the names listed in the nominal list of craftsmen in the Balearic Islands, it is difficult to find evidence of the existence of so many trades, all of them very similar to the old paper telephone directories of yesteryear that nobody uses any more.

In the digital age, we entrust our memories to computers, we are used to storing photos, souvenirs and telephone numbers in our mobile phones, we place much more trust in hard disks and virtual servers than in folders, filing cabinets, pencil and paper, and yet, and I add thank God, there are still some trades that are done simply by “getting one’s hands dirty”.

Thanks to a few, Mallorca’s craft tradition is fortunately still alive and some of its products and trades have become true symbols of the island, such as leather goods, footwear, glass, ‘llengües’ fabrics, palm and, of course, ceramics.

The idea goes immediately to that component of creativity of ‘know-how’, manual skill and the production of unique objects, as was the case of ‘BonSoul’ when looking for local craftsmanship brands to give life to this project, it asked a small local artisan business to produce unique ceramics, which by their design, concept and colour, would remind us of Mallorca, its sun, its vibe, its summer, in short, the soul of the Hotel BonSol.

And so it was, Vimbi Vimbi, or rather its creators, Natalia de Nicolás and Ana Nadal, immediately understood the idea that was presented to them and as the founders of BonSoul describe: ‘we felt that they were passionate about the concept of creating a collection inspired by the Sun, the Good Sun (aka BonSol in Mallorquin).

Moreover, as the pieces that were created together demonstrate, they managed to shape and give form to a beautiful collection of handmade ceramics, created without a potter’s wheel, that smells of summer, of the sun, of Mallorca, of holidays, like no other we have ever witnessed. They have managed to give shape to plates, candles, jugs, cups… transforming them from mere everyday objects into unique artistic pieces, conveying that BonSol soul.

We, lovers of craftsmanship, are undoubtedly grateful to these figures who have decided to dedicate themselves to the ancient tradition of working, in this case clay, taking up the legacy of past productions by adding new and suggestive designs that have captivated us in so many ways.