The horseshoer, outstanding craftsman in Montiferru

The figure of the horseshoer is one of most characteristic in the agricultural and sheep-rearing world of Montiferru,. It is the horsehoer who for ages has been dealing with the shoeing of horses and oxes and with the production of stirrups and spurs for the riders, rings, chains, buckles and other objects in use among breeders and shepherds. Among those who work the iron and the moderated steel, there are the masters artistic handicraft specialized in the realization of jack-knives, characterized by a cutting blade (of several shapes and sizes) and by an haft in horn that, sometimes, finishes with a garish decoration (with the head of a mouflon, for example). In this field it is Santu Lussurgiu that boasts the most equipped workshops of Montiferru and among the best ones of Sardinia.

In the region of Montiferru it is important to mention also the copper working, circumscribed to Cuglieri, even if it appears in smaller key compared with Isili (see Sarcidano). This metal was very famous to the nuraghic peoples, that used it in order to produce the bronze.

It is very interesting watching at a coppersmith on the job in his workshop, recalling ancient atmospheres: with his tools he realizes the most disparate objects, from cooking pots and saucepans to lids and skimmers for the ricotta (soft white unsalted Italian cheese), from the boiler for the processing of milk to the braziers and from the plates to the artefacts.

Sometimes it is possible to notice some blemishes on the surface of the finished products: they are caused by the gas bubbles which are released during the smelting of metals. Very interesting are the ornamentations which characterize the Sardinian handicraftsmen from those of other areas of Europe.