Mexican Ironwork- Cozumel

Map of Cozumel Island, Yacatan Penninsula, Mexico

Revised: October 22, 2023


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Introduction

This photo essay of Mexican/Yucatan penninula ironwork is a liitle different from the other Mexican Ironwork Galleries that I have put together.
Here, I go into a little more detail on some of the pieces. Things like hinges and latches, for instance.
But, it's still just an "idea book". Its best use is to simply browse through the pictures to get ideas for your own work or to get a feeling for the way that others do things.


There's a lot more ironwork on Cozumel than there is on Isla Mujeres. Although we've spent almost as much time on this island as we have on Isla Mujeres, this year, 2012, is the first year that I tried to get ironwork pictures here.
Why? Cozumel is harder to navigate, being a larger island and most of the hotels are farther away from the main town of San Miguel. On Isla Mujeres, it is typical to rent golf carts to get around. On Cozumel you need to rent a car or other 4-wheeled vehicle that is bigger and faster than a golf cart to avoid being run over.

I'd say that most of the work here is "contemporary" as opposed to mimicking any particular historical period or country culture. By that I mean that there's no particular focused "Spanish" influence, which might surprise you.
I'll go out on a pretty strong limb when I say that I doubt that ANY of the ironwork here dates back to Spanish times, because the Spanish didn't pay much attention to the Yucatan area (no precious metals to speak of) until they had pretty much tied up all rest of Mexico and its resources. From what I have read, they only focused on the Yucatan and its Mayan population when they realized it would be good source of slaves. The Spanish didn't leave this area until fairly recently, and the local folks still are not great Spanish fans.
So, any ironwork that does sorta look Spanish was probably commissioned by non Mexicans living there or Mexicans who have come there from the western parts of Mexico, where the Spanish culture is more ingrained.
Since Cozumal is one of the premier scuba diving destinations on earth and since cruise ships dock here regularly, maybe the ironwork is designed to be what the tourists, zipping by in cabs or in rented cars, want it to be.


Anti Climb Spikes                                

Anti Climb Spikes on Wall Anti Climb Spikes, Curved
  Anti Climb Spikes, Straight                                           Anti Climb Spikes, Curved


Gates                                

Hand Forged Chuch entrance gate Hand Forged inner Gate, Church
  Main Church Entrance                                                   Inner Gate, Church

Dive Shop Gate Side View Dive Shop Gate Right
  Dive Shop Outer Gates                                                   Dive Shop Right Gate

Dive Shop Gate Close Up 1 Dive Shop Gate Close up 2
  Dive Shop Gate Close Up 1                                             Dive Shop Gate Close Up 2

Dive Shop Inner Gate
  Dive Shop, Inner Gate


Dolphin Discovery Gate 1 Dophin discovery Gate Construction Detail
  Dolphin Discovery Gate, Outer                             Dolphin Discovery Gate Detail

Dolphin discovery Inner Gate Dolphin Discovery Assess Gate
  Dolphin discovery Inner Gate                                 Dolphin Discovery Assess Gate

Gate 10 Oblique Gate 11 Head-on
  Gate 10 Oblique                                                                         Gate 11 Head-on

Gate 12
  Gate 12

Compound Gate, Railings 13
  Compound Gate and Railings 13

Gate 13, Element Detail and Latch Gate 13, Walk Gate Area
  Gate 13, Element Detail and Latch                                             Gate 13, Walk Gate Area

Gate 14
  Gate 14

Gate 15, Oblique
  Gate 15, Oblique

Gate 15 First Driveway Gate 15 Second Driveway
  Gate 15 First Driveway                                                   Gate 15 Second Driveway

Gate 15 Fence Sections Gate 15, Gate Latch Detail
  Gate 15 Fence Sections                                                 Gate 15, Gate Latch Detail

Gate 15, Scroll & Construction Detail Gate 15, More Scroll Detail
  Gate 15, Scroll & Construction Detail                                       Gate 15, More Detail

Gate 151 Head-on
Gate 151 Head-on

Gate 151 Outer Gate Matches Inner Ironwork
  Gate 151 Note How Outer Gate Matches Ironwork on Building

Gate 151 Upper Construction Detail Gate 151 Latch Area
  Gate 151 Upper Construction Detail                                 Gate 151 Latch Area

Gate 16, Scrolls
  Gate 16, Scrolls

Gate 17, Pretty Thin Material
  Gate 17, Pretty Thin Material

Gate 18, Note VERY thin elements Gate 19
  Gate 18, Note VERY thin elements                                           Gate 19

Gate 20, Bright Red
  Gate 20, Bright Red

Gate 20, Close Up
  Gate 20, Showing Sliding Rail for Driveway Gate

Gate 20, Small Enclosure Gate Gate 20, Lower Panel
  Gate 20, Small Enclosure Gate                                                 Gate 20, Lower Panel

Gate 20, Close Up Gate 20, Detail
  Gate 20, Close Up;                                                                     Gate 20, Detail

Gate 21, Note Delicate (Too delicate?) Details
  Gate 21, Note Delicate (Too delicate?) Details

Gate 22, Open, Both Leaves Gate 22, Right Leaf
  Gate 22, Open, Both Leaves                                             Gate 22, Right Leaf

Gate 22, Courtyard Door 1 Gate 22, Courtyard Door 2
  Gate 22, Courtyard Door 1                                       Gate 22, Courtyard Door 2

Gate 22, Anti Climb Spikes
  Gate 22, Anti Climb Spikes

Gate 23 Gate 24
  Gate 23                                                               Gate 24

Gate 25
  Gate 25

Gate 26 Gate 26, Cast Finial Detail
  Gate 26                                                       Gate 26, Cast Finial Detail

Gate 27 Gate 28
  Gate 27                                                       Gate 28, again, note that details are almost too thin

Gate 29 Gate 30
  Gate 29                                                               Gate 30

Scuba Club Gate Scuba Club Gate Top
  Scuba Club Gate                                                                         Scuba Club Gate Top

Scuba Club Gate Detail Scuba Club Gate, Turtle
  Scuba Club Gate Detail                                                             Scuba Club Gate, Turtle

White Gate
  White Gate


Railings, Grills and Fence Sections                                

Railing 10 Railing 10 Single Section Close up
  Railing 10                                                       Railing 10 Single Section Close up

Railing 11 Railing 11, Detail
  Railing 11                                                                 Railing 11, Detail

Grill 11 Grill 12
  Grill 11                                                                                         Grill 12

Grill 13 Grill 15
  Grill 13                                                                                         Grill 15

Grill Over Door, 14 Grill Over Door 14, Detail
  Grill Over Door, 14                                                     Grill Over Door 14, Detail

Fence 10
  Fence 10

Fence and Gates 11 Fence and Gate 11, Walk Gate Detail
  Fence and Gates 11                                       Fence and Gate 11, Walk Gate Detail

Fence 12 Fence 12, Front Close Up
  Fence 12                                                       Fence 12, Front Close Up

Fence 12, Flower Element Close Up Fence 12, Oblique View of Side
  Fence 12, Flower Element Close Up                   Fence 12, Oblique View of Side


More Doorway Treatments                                

Door 10 Doorway 1
  Door 10                                                                                       Doorway 1

Door 11 Door 11, Grill Detail
  Door 11                                                                               Door 11, Grill Detail

Doorway 2
  Doorway 2


Lighting                                

Chandelier, Simple Lamp 1
  Chandelier, Simple                                                                     Lamp 1

Lantern 1
  Lantern 1


Miscellaneous Ironwork                                

Couch Couch with Chair
  Couch                                                                                           Couch with Chair

Turtle Above Driveway Gate Grill Detail, Cross
  Turtle Above Driveway Gate                                               Grill Detail, Cross

Donkey, Side Donkey, Head, Right
  Donkey, Side                                                               Donkey, Head, Right

Donkey, Head On Doneky, Head, Left Side
  Donkey, Head On                                                 Donkey, Head, Left Side

Donkey, Left and Rear Donkey, Left Side
  Donkey, Front Leg Detail                                           Donkey, Left and Rear

Donkey, Tail Donkey, Tail, Close Up
  Donkey, Tail                                                   Donkey, Tail, and Back Legs, Close Up


Thanks for looking!