Croix-des-Bouquets

In the Noailles quarter of Croix-des-Bouquets, oil drums are cut open, flattened, drawn on with chalk and cut into sculpture with hammer and chisel, and the sound of the work carries down every lane. The tradition goes back to Georges Liautaud in the mid-twentieth century and now supports several hundred artisans in a few streets, producing everything from tourist trays to large commissioned pieces sold internationally. Workshops are open to walk into and the work is done in front of you.

History

The town was founded in 1749 by royal decree, and legend says it takes its name from a large cross on the site where passing Spaniards left bouquets of flowers. It first stood on the shore but was moved inland after the Port-au-Prince earthquake of 1770, and on 22 March 1792 it saw one of the first battles of the Haitian Revolution (Wikipedia, Croix-des-Bouquets).

Highlights

• The workshops - open yards where drums are flattened, drawn on and cut by hand.
• The chiselling - the whole process done with hammer and chisel, no power tools.
• The scale range - trays and ornaments alongside large commissioned panels.
• The lanes of Noailles - a few streets holding several hundred working artisans.

When to go

Year round; workshops run on weekdays and slow down at weekends. Mornings are when most work is happening. The heat on the plain is severe in the middle of the day.

Things to know

Buying directly from the workshop is the point, and haggling hard on pieces that took days of hand work is poor form. The quarter is busy and hot and a local contact makes the visit far easier. Prices for identical pieces vary widely between yards.

Nearby

Port-au-Prince is twenty minutes southwest, and Lake Azuei is east on the same plain.