In the article below, journalist Lucille Davie profiles master coppersmith Larry de Klerk. De Klerk's workshop dates back to the late 19th century and is a declared Provincial Heritage Site. The piece was first published on the City of Joburg's website on 14 December 2001. Click here to view more of Davie's work.
South Africa's only coppersmith is not passing on his skills to anyone and is considering giving up the craft in the next five to 10 years.
“South Africans don’t appreciate crafts,” says 40-year-old Larry de Klerk, a fourth generation coppersmith operating out of the wood and iron garage attached to a house in Currey Street, Doornfontein, which was declared a national monument in 1990 (today a Provincial Heritage Site). He says he is the only coppersmith in the country.
“Copper is alive and with it you can put things together that no machine can do,” he says. “It is not something you can easily teach – I have been doing it for 20 years and am still learning the craft.”
De Klerk says his biggest challenge has been to make a copper bath. He has had orders from around the world and has made 60-70 baths. “It was only after about 15 years that I felt I had the confidence to make a bath.” A test of the craft is whether you can see a join in the bath: his baths have no visible joins. “My father said it couldn’t be done.”...
