am el ized ▁for ▁making ▁cand ies . ▁Every ▁year ▁during ▁the ▁month ▁of ▁August ▁Santa ▁Clara ▁del ▁C obre ▁holds ▁a ▁co pper ▁festival . ▁ ▁Iron ▁ ▁Iron ▁was ▁not ▁worked ▁in ▁the ▁Mes o amer ican ▁period , ▁with ▁its ▁min ing ▁and ▁working ▁introduced ▁by ▁the ▁Spanish . ▁Ex pl oration ▁of ▁the ▁metal ▁was ▁initially ▁b anned ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁industry ▁in ▁Spain , ▁but ▁as ▁tools ▁made ▁from ▁the ▁metal ▁were ▁essential ▁for ▁expl oration ▁and ▁con quest , ▁the ▁prohib ition ▁was ▁soon ▁ignored . ▁Initial ly ▁the ▁items ▁were ▁purely ▁util itar ian ▁such ▁as ▁tools , ▁lo cks , ▁horses ho es ▁and ▁tools . ▁Later ▁in ▁the ▁colonial ▁period , ▁iron ▁began ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁in ▁other ▁ways , ▁including ▁decor ative ▁elements ▁in ▁churches ▁and ▁m ans ions ▁such ▁as ▁rail ings ▁and ▁bal con ies . ▁The ▁height ▁of ▁traditional ▁Mexican ▁iron working ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 ▁and ▁ 1 8 th ▁centuries . ▁ ▁Initial ly ▁the ▁main ▁iron ▁working ▁cent ers ▁were ▁P ue bla ▁and ▁O ax aca . ▁O ax ac an ▁iron ▁was ▁exception ally ▁m alle able ▁and ▁light ▁allowing ▁for ▁intr icate ▁designs ▁and ▁tools ▁not ▁possible ▁with ▁other ▁types ▁of ▁iron . ▁Most ▁O ax ac an ▁iron ▁objects ▁date ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁and ▁ 1 8 th ▁centuries ▁and ▁include ▁lo cks , ▁furn iture ▁and ▁sc iss ors , ▁often ▁with ▁intr icate ▁designs ▁et ched