Reprosa-Treasures of Panama
Reprosa would begin in the 1970s, when Frank
Santomenno, a businessman living in the city, was enjoying a
dinner party with friends when he commented about the loss of
significant historical pre-Columbian artifacts that had been
stolen from the gold room of the National Anthropological
Museum, and how the world would now not be able to enjoy viewing
and looking over the beautiful collections that had been created
by the indigenous tribes of that period. Fortunately, for them,
their country and the world, there were a few collectors of
pre-Columbian art that said they would be most happy to loan
their pieces so that replicas could be made and the world would
be able to see the magnificent works from centuries ago and the
fabulous craftsmanship that these early smiths had. Frank would
be left holding the bag and so he would begin the process of
copying these beautiful pieces, reading as much about it as
possible. It wasn't long before people in the city heard of his
endeavors and wanted to purchase the magnificent copies. His
wife, Penny, would set up shop and start selling "huacas" and
when their son and his wife came for a vacation, it turned into
a family business. Thus, there are many beautiful pieces of old
world charm and beauty that can be purchased for a fraction of
what it would normally cost visitors. They now sell, treasures
of the sea, traditional jewelry, eternal orchids, huacas and
buried treasure items that are the most desirable replicas of
treasured pieces of Panama.
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