Hammer and Paete

We visited Paete, Laguna last month to buy some religious wooden sculptures for the new chapel in our province. The weather was uncooperative that day, it would rain then the sun would shine again after 10 minutes or so. But  I was still able to roam around the streets. The town has this quaint atmosphere to it. The streets are very narrow and there are very few cars except for outsiders who come for the wooden sculptures. People usually ride tricycles or bikes to go around but most really just walk.

 

The wooden sculptures are displayed along the road like mannequins. Most of the sculptures are depictions of religious events and characters. There are Jesus Christs, Marys, and saints in all shapes, sizes, positions and facial expressions.

   

  

 The sculptors are in their respective workshops with their hammer and paete working the whole day. I was able to go inside their workshops and see them work. There is really a great amount of skill and passion put into every wooden sculpture they make. It was very interesting to see them create magnificent sculptures out of blocks of wood.

I would love to go visit this place again. It's really heaven for someone who dignifies human labor.