Assumpta Bou: "Why do you think people come to Barcelona? To buy a bull souvenir, certainly not."

BarcelonaAssumpta Bou welcomes us into her shop-workshop next to Sant Felip Neri Square. It's a quiet morning, and there are very few people in the neighborhood's narrow streets. The almost empty setting is a privilege Bou enjoys every morning when she goes to work. She has been living in this space for two years, which she shares with other artists, and from there she serves customers who come to pick up her pieces made with historical materials.

What is archaeological jewelry?

— Jewelry comes in many forms, but archaeological jewelry is a global trend that emerged in the 1920s, around the time of the first archaeological discoveries in Egypt. It also stems from the desire to recover techniques from the past. But to be an archaeological jeweler, you must meet two requirements: you must use ancient objects—what we call artifacts—and you must use them as artifacts. artifacts, which are small objects, like a coin, a button... but they're important because there's a lot of symbolism behind them and they meant a lot to the people who wore them—and, moreover, ancient techniques must be used. They're special and complicated techniques, like Etruscan granulation, which comes from Mesopotamia.

So is it a more complex jewel, technically speaking?

— Yes. It's more complex. This granulation technique, for example, is extremely complicated. You push the limits of the metal and can even melt it because granulation is based on joining without welding. It's an ancient technique that we in the West had lost, but since the East had preserved and maintained it, it has survived to this day.

And where do these artifacts come from?

— In the case of coins, there's a completely legal numismatic movement. But each country regulates it differently. For example, Greece doesn't want coins to leave their country right now. Italy, on the other hand, doesn't care. There's a coin-buying and selling circuit, numismatic fairs, etc. Some people are looking for 17th-century coins, and others are looking for archaeological ones. I personally am fascinated by them. I think they're true works of art.

How much money can it cost?

— It depends on the number of coins preserved, the period, their uniqueness... You can find coins that cost fifteen euros or coins that cost fifteen thousand.

And beyond coins, what other things do you use?

— I use carnelian stones, usually from the Indus Valley Civilization, which are painted with pearl powder. This means they're 2,300 years old. They were very important and used as exchange pieces. It demonstrates the two sides of jewelry.

What are the two sides?

— Joy has two paths: on the one hand, it represents status and money, but at the same time, it's also symbolic and an object of power. The most primitive thing in the world is to make objects that have meaning, a value. That's why I say all jewelers are part alchemist and part artist. Alchemists because we want to imbue an object with a little power. It's said that man became a man when he began to bury his dead. Because he felt there was something more, a soul. And at the first burial, there were already objects beside it, small objects, hanging things... symbolic objects.

Are there many more jewelers specializing in archaeological jewelry in Catalonia?

— No, no. There are very few of us. Here in Catalonia, I don't want to say I'm the only one, but I don't know anyone else who does it. And around the world, those of us who do it almost all know each other. Imagine how few of us there are! It's something very specific. To dedicate yourself to this, above all, you have to be passionate about it, because otherwise, you won't be able to handle it. I didn't choose this as a strategy to sell more or make money; it's just that I'm incapable of doing anything else; I love it.

There are many more women jewelers now.

— Yes, of course. This has changed a lot. It used to be a male-dominated profession. There are some old workshops I'd visited, and they were like mechanics' workshops. Now, however, we like to take care of the spaces, making them pleasant and welcoming. It's not the same at all. That old jeweler profile is disappearing.

I guess old ways of doing things are disappearing too?

— Yes, one thing about the jeweler's trade is that there used to be a lot of secrets. I don't like that at all; I'd like to break them. In fact, all the trades in which there is—or was—a remote possibility of making money are trades with a lot of secrets. There were many jewelers who didn't pass on information; they went to the grave with their techniques, their tricks, they didn't share it. Above all, it was the people who started in the fifties, sixties, seventies... and who made a lot of money in this sector. I find this sad because it represents a huge loss of knowledge. I think we should now do the opposite: share it, and that way it won't be lost.

And how did you end up making archaeological jewelry? What's your journey that led you to this point?

— Well, I'm an artistic person, but also very philosophical. I studied philosophy for two years, dropped out, and started fine arts, but dropped that too. And then I started apprenticing with a jeweler and discovered I wanted to dedicate myself to it. But I had to go to Italy to study because ancient techniques aren't easy to find here; they aren't taught, and there's no one teaching them. Barcelona and Catalonia in general have very contemporary jewelry, but we've forgotten history.

In Rome, on the other hand, is it more present?

— Yes, yes, absolutely. Perhaps it's because Barcino wasn't a super-important city. Tarraco was much more important. I believe that every city takes the best from its history, and that's why we've chosen Modernism and Gaudí as our icons. But we have many layers; we should value and reclaim them all.

What did you learn in Italy?

— There I went to a jewelry school where there was a professor named Antonio Antonelli, who was passionate about Egyptian jewelry. We bonded a lot and worked very closely together. I learned a lot from him. A group of colleagues from Sardinia introduced me to the Etruscan granulation technique they had mastered, and later I moved to Florence to study with him. teacher Giovanni Corbaj, who's an eminence. A very nice and humble guy. And from then on, I took courses here and there... And I've been training.

How long have you been here in Barcelona?

— I've been working in this shop-workshop for two years. When I returned from Italy, I was caught up in the crisis. So I started applying for work, but it was hard to get an apprenticeship. Ten years in a workshop, I was doing my jobs while still studying and having children, of which I have three. I had to juggle a lot. I wanted to take this with me to Barcelona.

But being in the center also means living with overcrowding and all its consequences.

— Absolutely. Look, today I walked up Ferran Street and counted eighteen souvenir shops. This can't be right. And I want the government to help us. That's why I'm part of the Call group, with other businesses in the area, and we want to complain and talk to the mayor, because things need to change. We're destroying everything that gives value to the city. It can't be right. And something doesn't add up: We, who are shops with a soul, can't survive. And, on the other hand, a man who sells souvenirs, yes. Well, I don't believe it. But I need, and I demand, protection. Help. From the government. But real help. Because we must be clear that tourists value what shops like mine are offering. Let's take, for example, the American tourist who comes here, but the educated American with money, who really likes that the city offers them this shop because they won't find it anywhere else. On the other hand, the souvenir shop can be found here and everywhere. The essence of the city is its unique, soulful shops. That's what you look for when you travel. Many tourists come here and always talk about disappointment when they talk about Barcelona. They tell me they find shops that are everywhere. But then what's the difference if you find here what you also find in Paris, London, or Milan? This makes me very sad.

Do they make you lose the desire to be here?

— No, no. I'm staying here. Besides, we're strong. We've joined forces with local merchants and are taking many actions. We want them to let us take care of our stores, to make them stand out. Why do you think people come here? To buy a bullfighting souvenir? No. An Escobar T-shirt? Not that either.