Roma coppersmiths sell their wares at a country fair in Transylvania (Romania) in 2010.
Photo by Ágnes Fülemile, Balassi Institute/Hungarian Cultural Center
Historically, coppersmiths have typically worked in large towns and cities, where they helped to make plates, cookware, roofing materials, and stills for producing alcohol. Many Roma people also specialized in this trade—traveling the countryside to repair equipment used in kitchens and bakeries. In recent years, coppersmiths have applied their skills to pipe work and plumbing repairs, but their traditional tools remain the same: hammers, anvils, pincers, pliers, and mallets.
