Cíen Rodríguez Pérez, Carpintería Calvo, was one of the winners of the 2019 Toy Contest. Her piece was a dollhouse made from a gourd grown in the hot land of Chiapas in the Tuxtla area. Wooden toys have traditionally been made in the highlands and Chiapa de Corzo area and a few years ago artisans began making whimsical toys from gourds, bamboo, seeds and local types of reeds.

Highland toys are usually made of pine, while lowland toys can be made of different exotic woods and lacquered. Cíen Rodríguez was born in a small town a couple of hours from Tuxtla called Totolapa. The people there are mostly subsistence farmers and some of the men are carpenters or wood carvers. Amber was also found years ago and the farmers may have small amber mines on their property and extract amber during the dry season. 

Jobs are scarce in this part of Chiapas, and children are taught to work at a very early age to help the family. Cíen is no exception, and she and her companions began learning carpentry and wood carving at the age of nine or ten. Five other relatives work with Cíen in the workshop. They all come from Totolapa and have a similar story to Cíen. Her two sons are also learning to make toys, do a lot of detail and finishing work.

Carpintería Calvo

Av. Hidalgo 2210, Barrio Benito Juárez

Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas

961 182 4696 WhatsApp