Artesonados Mudéjares is a business dedicated to the restoration and manufacture of Mudéjar artistic wooden ceilings which has managed to recover, maintain and assure the continuity of an artistic and craft speciality which had been disappearing.

In his facet of recovering and maintaining artisanal know-how and… practice, Paco Luis Martos works in much the same way as the carpenters who 1000 years ago made the first Islamic-influenced wooden ceilings, from which tradition we have inherited alhambra palaces, alcázar fortresses and a wealth of Muslim, Christian and Jewish architecture. Mudéjar wooden ceilings are a link between different religious and cultural identities using similar decorative techniques in a unique art that evolved only in Spain, with an artistic and cultural value recognised and appreciated worldwide.

Cultivating awareness around historic heritage requires a determined engagement, backed by Paco Luis’s company, based on a thorough knowledge of heritage buildings and of the materials and techniques used in their construction to achieve optimal results. Thus it is impossible to restore a ceiling structure properly without knowing how to build one in the manner of its creator.

It is a matter of reproducing the geometric and decorative models used by the master builders and artisans of old. These have a decorative and also a functional logic, as the wooden frameworks often support a roof.

This firm is probably the only company devoted exclusively to the artisanal manufacture of Mudéjar wooden ceilings. Half of its output is for export, so it has opened an office in Los Angeles (California). Its work revolves around two themes:
– Restoration of Mudéjar ceilings, for institutions or private clients.
– Manufacture of new Mudéjar ceilings for private clients: palaces, mansions, restaurants, hotels, etc.

Its production process, including preparation and finishing, involves the following:

– Preliminary tasks: After being contacted by a client, the team produces a draft or sketch of the design with samples and a few technical details, in line with the client’s directions.

– Design: They draw up a design including outlines, details and a description of the woods and other materials to be used. They also generate 3D digital imagery and document the historical Mudéjar ceiling styles in the area, to be reflected in the project.

– Drawing and cutting: a blueprint is drawn up detailing the cutting angles, measurements, mortises and grooving in each piece so as to suitably map out the project, and the wood is cut with band saws and planed to the desired thicknesses. Once the parts are half-finished, the mortises, tenons and cuts shown on the drawings are made using sets of joiner’s squares, following the traditional methods of strapwork carpentry and the rules of Mudéjar ceiling construction. This involves the use of chisels, handsaws and an electric mitre saw.

– Decoration. This is perhaps the most artisanal stage of the process, given the various decorative techniques used:

Carving
Using gouges and a mallet, the forms marked in pencil on the wood are roughed.

Gilding and gold varnish

In applying gold leaf to the various parts of Mudéjar ceilings, the first step is to prepare a base of calcium sulphate with rabbit-skin glue and water (gesso). Water is heated in a bain-marie and then the pre-warmed plaster and rabbit-skin glue are blended in. At least five layers of gesso are needed, with each being left to dry before the next is applied. The piece is then sanded with various grit sizes until the surface is well polished. Then a layer of rabbit-skin glue diluted in water is applied to remove any dust and to act as an adhesive between the gesso and the bole, a fine reddish clay that is applied all over the gesso surface. Once dry, the piece is scrubbed with a brush with short stiff bristles until the whole surface is shiny. With a soft brush, a mixture of water, glue and alcohol is then applied, and gold leaf is laid on so that it adheres. After a few hours the gold is gently burnished with an agate stone, giving it a lustre. This layer can be protectively coated with white shellac or cellulose lacquer for metals.

For estofado varnish, a mixture of finely crushed natural pigment with rabbit-skin glue or egg yolk is prepared and applied over the gold. Once this is tacky, the pigment is worked over with the wooden end of a paintbrush. As pressure is exerted, the gold below appears, highlighting the motifs.

Polychrome

Before polychrome is applied to wood, the surface must be prepared with several layers of gesso. After sanding and the application of a layer of watered animal glue, the piece is painted with a mixture of natural pigments bonded with egg yolk or hot glue. Once it is finished, shellac and a layer of wax may be applied.

Inlaying

This technique consists essentially of creating usually geometrical motifs with wooden laths 2 mm thick. Woods of different colours are used to highlight the pattern. The pieces are cut one by one and stuck with hot glue. Once dry, they are finished with a knife and sanded with fine-grit paper. Finally they are varnished with shellac and coated with wax.

Wood-turning

For making hanging ornaments called pinjantes, chiefly in Renaissance ceilings. Also, in making rosettes and roundels, which are then carved for inclusion in Mudéjar ceilings.

Muqarnas

A muqarnas ornamental vault consists of an octagonal hub called a nabo, to which is added a honeycomb of rectangular and triangular prisms called adarajas, some of whose sides and angles are equal. These adarajas have various shapes and names, such as jairas, dumbaques or medios cuadrados, and are progressively fixed to the central nabo with nails and glue. The ensemble is completed by nailing on a moulding called albernica.

– Assembly and finishes: Once the pieces are finished they are assembled in sections or modules. Mortise and tenon jointing is generally used in apeinazado ceilings (with decorative laths), or nails are put in.

As an innovation, computer programs such as AutoCAD are now used.

Another notable aspect of the firm’s production process is a particular concern for and commitment to the environment and waste management. It uses certified sustainable woods or, where appropriate, reclaimed timbers, with characteristics and qualities that make them prime raw materials. It also uses non-polluting water-based varnishes and other natural products. Any pollutants are taken to a recycling centre.