Tatang Eddie got married at 20 years old. In his late twenties he was apprenticed as an antique shop helper in a business owned by the Lozano family who were his relatives. It was in this stint that he learned the rudiments of wood carving under a certain Mr. Carlos Quiros. Later on he ventured into the metal craft locally called “pinukpuk” because of the process by which designs are embossed on metal sheets which are used as adornments in mostly ecclesiastical items.
At first he became an expert in copying available patterns but as years progressed he became more adept in introducing designs of his own. His favorite designs these days include the so-called callado which depicts intertwined leaves and flowers embossed on silver-plated yellow brass.
For more than thirty years now, Tatang Eddie has made his mark as the finest metal craftsmen in the country. His commissioned works include ecclesiastical pieces such as altar tables and tabernacles, and collectors’ items such as candelabras, picture frames and even salakots. Some of his products are sold at Tesoro’s in Manila.
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