UNESCO honours Chilean handicrafts

• Horse hair clasp, by Alba Sepúlveda, handicraft artist of Rari (Maule Region).

On Wednesday 25 June, Hon. Paulina Urrutia, Chile’s Minister of Culture, awarded the 2008 UNESCO Seal of Excellence for Handicraft Products to eight local artists whose work received recognition at the Handicraft Fair held in Cordoba, Argentina, last March. On the occasion, pieces submitted by Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina were also awarded prizes.

The prize is being awarded to eight craftsmen in the framework of the first international selection of "UNESCO Recognition of Excellence for MERCOSUR Handicraft Products”.

The venue for the ceremony was Santiago’s Fine Arts Museum (Museo de Bellas Artes), where the seals of the first international selection of "UNESCO Recognition of Excellence for MERCOSUR Handicraft Products” were presented.

The eight winning entries were: "Canoa Plátano" and "Pocillo atravesado", by Héctor Bascuñán (Villarrica); the ceramic piece "Ocarina Quirquincho", by Sergio García (Quilpué); "Cuadros de paisajes" on enameled copper, by Viviana Marshall (Putaendo); rings made from Chilean coconut palms, by Víctor Lucero (Panquehue); horse hair clasps, by Alba Sepúlveda and Paula Leal (Rari); and the textile design "Alfombra Ñiminlama", by Dominga Ancavil (Padre Las Casas).

During the ceremony Minister Urrutia praised the prize winners noting that “this world award recognises the excellent quality, skills, know-how, individuality and innovation that went into your designs, as well as the respect they evidence for the environment, all of which add to their general appreciation and commercial worth.”

Diana Sojos, Chairwoman of the international jury, stated that “the pieces were selected on the strength of their excellence and attention to detail, and after due consideration of the high quality standard of all the pieces presented by the country.”

The World Council for Handicrafts and the National Council for Culture and the Arts, entities that for the next three years have committed themselves to the promotion of these products at international fairs and increase their dissemination through their inclusion in catalogues, videos, exhibitions and commercial outlets, have also endorsed UNESCO’s recognition.

• Author(s):OREALC/UNESCO Santiago
• Source:OREALC/UNESCO Santiago
• 27-06-2008