Ser Toledo Radio.

Creating drawings or patterns and embedding them in steel. This is how an art begins, that of damascening, for which Toledo has also been a reference for centuries. It endures thanks to the minds and work of people like Raquel de la Torre, a young damascener who learned the technique—and the trade—from her father, who did not foresee much continuity for a craft that for the older generation ‘has little future left.’ But it is the strength, drive, and imagination of youth that made her ‘follow her path and start innovating with a fresher essence.’ Although she admits, ‘at first, my father didn’t like that I deviated from tradition, but he saw the results and changed his mind.’

This young entrepreneur, whose brand can be found on social media as ‘Togashi Damasquinos,’ received the regional crafts award for a piece made in expanders. When asked by Maribel Uriel, who each Thursday brings us young people seeking to grow through craftsmanship, Raquel explains that making a piece can take a minimum of a week. Besides everything… she competes every day with industrial work, but—at least she—knows how to differentiate good craftsmanship from mass production: ‘The shine, the mirror effect of gold, and also nuances in the design’s shape…’ are some of the characteristics that distinguish an original, artisanal damascene.