IMBERLITA is a brand that has allowed the artisans of the area to participate in a collective process that gives value to their work. Without the collective brand, this would not have been possible, since most artisans lack the capital and experience to create brands or undertake promotional activities.
The production of handicrafts has been incorporated into the local strategy for the development of cultural tourism in Puerto Plata. In 2017, the Government of the Dominican Republic created the Plaza Artesanal de la Madera Petrificado in Imbert and dedicated it to local artisans.
Imbert’s craftsmanship is rooted in the tradition of the region. The traditional knowledge and know-how of stone sculptors in and around Imbert dates back to the 1960s.
The petrified stone artisans of that community highlighted the support that ONAPI gives to their association while acknowledging that it is the first time that a director of that entity has visited them. They expressed the need for the opening of tourism, which is their main source of income since foreign visitors to Puerto Plata regularly acquire their handicrafts made of natural stone.
This square is used to support the development, production and marketing of petrified wood handicrafts with the IMBERLITA collective brand. Fairs, exhibitions, cultural activities, meetings and other activities aimed at publicizing the crafts of the region are also held there.
The development of the petrified wood industry has created an essential market in the cultural and tourist sectors of the Imbert region. Today, even the coat of arms of the municipality of Imbert has been updated to include crafts as one of the distinctive elements of the region.
The crafts of the Dominican Republic originate from the Taíno (indigenous), Spanish and African cultures. The combination of these cultures has given rise to a unique form of artistic expression, characterized by its intense colors. All of its craftsmanship is made from natural materials, such as wood, minerals, and even the island’s prized native amber. One such material, found only in the mines around Imbert, is a unique stone that looks like wood.
That stone is the mineral talc that forms from a sedimentary sandstone rock (also called “petrified wood”). It can be shaped by hand with simple tools such as machetes and knives. Artisans create typical Dominican figures from those rocks, such as faceless dolls; taino objects; symbols of family, birth and love; chess pieces; baseballs; animals and religious images.
The Association of Petrified Wood Artisans (ASOARTEP) was created in 1997 to recognize the unique qualities of this craft. Its aim is to protect local traditional cultural expressions and encourage the development of artisans and crafts in the Imbert region.
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