Craftsman vs Businessman

On this typical gray rainy November afternoon in London procrastinating the organizational tasks needed to get ready for our upcoming move I've come across a family plate that was made for us on our recent September visit to Italy.  The plate is nice, but the story of the craftsman behind it is even nicer.

Climbing the hills of the mountain-top town Montepluciano, I stumbled onto a coppersmith working in his shop.  What started as a two-minute photo opp turned into a 30 minute exchange with my family.  He spoke virtually no English (and I speak absolutely no Italian), but welcomed us into his shop and somehow we conversed.  He proceeded to pound out a copper plate representing my family tree, showing Will just how a coppersmith works with an anvil and stamps.  I've been thinking this afternoon about our visit with him.

His name is Sr. Mazzetti and his shop, Bottega Del Rame, has been in his family for almost 150 years.  He started the craft with his father when he was a young child and has been in the shop ever since.  His copper pots and artwork are sold in a boutique run by his wife just a short walk from the shop.

As someone who has an interest in good cookware, I can tell you the quality of Sr. Marzetti's saucepans is top-notch.  The detail in his artwork is exquisite.  His work is obviously a labor of love, and the end result is something very special.  I am guessing his business does well--especially the last ten years since "Under a Tuscan Sun" brought droves of tourists to his region--but he is probably not a rich man (in terms of monetary wealth).

Sr. Marzzetti does not dream of globalization.  He does not aspire to have a shop full of workers pounding out pots by the hour; and he certainly does not think about big marketing campaigns.  Sr. Marzetti knows exactly what he has--a small family-run business based on tradition, family and pure craftsmanship.  He loves working in his shop and being close to his customer; you can tell by the way he so easily invites you in and makes you feel welcome. To grow the business larger, to add more craftsmen, to sell endless product would ruin it, and I suspect, would ruin Sr. Marzzetti.

For almost my entire adult life, I've run a business with the goals of building it bigger, selling more and making it operate more efficiently.  In part, I had to because I had investors that expected those things.  But I also thrived on it.  So when I think of Sr Marzzetti's business, it is a bit foreign to me (literally as well as figuratively) but it is a concept I am beginning to really admire.

After all, isn't that what we all are after in some way or another.  Work that won't feel like a job.  Work that brings out our passion and excites us.  Work that allows our individual contributions to make a big and lasting positive impact in a way that is true to ourselves.

Footnote:

Just in case you are wondering...yes, Kristin did make a healthy contribution to his boutique by making us the proud owners of a copper vase.  You can find his shop online at http://www.rameria.com./