▁who ▁can ▁do ▁traditional ▁Mexican ▁silver ▁work ▁is ▁dw ind ling . ▁To ▁help ▁preserve ▁the ▁tradition , ▁every ▁two ▁years ▁the ▁Hugo ▁Sal inas ▁Price ▁National ▁Silver ▁Prize ▁is ▁awarded ▁to ▁Mexican ▁sil vers m ith s ▁in ▁various ▁categories . ▁It ▁is ▁spons ored ▁by ▁the ▁F oment o ▁Cultural ▁Gru po ▁Sal inas , ▁the ▁Secret aría ▁de ▁Des ar rollo ▁Social ▁( SE DE S OL ), ▁the ▁F ondo ▁Nacional ▁para ▁el ▁F oment o ▁de ▁las ▁Ar tes an ías ▁( F ON ART ) ▁and ▁the ▁Museo ▁de ▁Arte ▁Popular . ▁The ▁purpose ▁is ▁to ▁promote ▁the ▁craft ▁in ▁the ▁country ▁both ▁in ▁Mexico ▁and ▁abroad . ▁ ▁Co pper ▁ ▁While ▁co pper ▁was ▁worked ▁in ▁some ▁parts ▁of ▁Mes o amer ica , ▁modern ▁Mexican ▁tradition ▁is ▁Spanish ▁in ▁origin . ▁Co pper ▁working ▁was ▁initially ▁ignored ▁by ▁the ▁Spanish ▁conquist adors ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁looking ▁for ▁gold ▁and ▁silver . ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁sh ipped ▁to ▁Spain ▁as ▁much ▁as ▁the ▁other ▁two . ▁Instead , ▁it ▁eventually ▁became ▁important ▁for ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁util itar ian ▁items , ▁especially ▁domestic ▁items ▁such ▁as ▁p ots ▁and ▁p ans . ▁Today , ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁traditional ▁co pper ▁work ▁in ▁Mexico ▁is ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Mich o ac án , ▁especially ▁the ▁municipality ▁of ▁Santa ▁Clara ▁del ▁C obre . ▁ ▁One ▁traditional ▁ham mer ed ▁co pper ▁object ▁is ▁a ▁large ▁vessel ▁in ▁which ▁p ork ▁fat ▁is ▁rendered ▁or ▁sugar ▁car