Craft Heritage Research Articles

The Industrial Design Model in Italy at the Stage of Formation. The Aemilia Ars Group

The article considers the formation of the industrial design model in Italy in the peculiarity of socio-political conditions at the turn of the 20th century. Orientated towards the prospects of the design industrial culture, the progress of new art tended towards two vectors of development: a strong influence of traditional heritage of the great classical past and passion for modern examples of European design schools. The design, formed within the boundaries of the Italian regional version of the Art Nouveau style, stile Liberty, became a product of a specifically Italian design and artistic culture with a strong designer’s original creative beginning. It allowed freedom of experimentation in the search for its own unique means of expression. The industrial model of design was determined by the experience of the great craft heritage in addition to the influence of the artistic traditions of the new style. The new “revival” of the artistic industry of Italy took place in symbiosis of the activities of an artist-designer and artistic craft and industrial production. The Aemilia Ars group, as a regional design and production association, became an exemplary model of industrial design in Italy. The multidisciplinary structure of the association, which included a collaboration of architects, designers, and artisans specialising in various areas of the art industry, allowed the implementation of interdisciplinary tasks: from architectural restoration to interior design solutions. The group was an example of a unique design culture focused on a scientifically based approach, regional craft artistic traditions and an original style of a creative experiment. The great design-artistic and technological heritage as well as design potential of the Aemilia Ars craft traditions can still be found in the practice of a number of local associations of embroiderers of modern Bologna.

A Study on the Socio-Economic Development of Western Rajasthan’s Craft Artisans

This paper offers a comprehensive analysis of the socio-economic development of craft artisans in Western Rajasthan, focusing on Jodhpur District. The region, renowned for its rich cultural heritage and traditional craftsmanship, faces significant challenges including inadequate market access, limited financial resources, and lack of modern tools. These issues, compounded by the diminishing interest of the younger generation in traditional crafts, threaten the sustainability of the industry. This research examines the artisans’ socio-economic profiles, income levels, education, living conditions, and gender dynamics. It evaluates the impact of government policies, identifies key challenges, and explores strategies for improvement. The mixed-methods approach includes literature reviews, case studies, data analysis, and stakeholder workshops to provide actionable recommendations for enhancing artisans’ livelihoods and preserving their craft heritage.

KOTA DORIA WEAVERS PLEADING FOR NEW DESIGNS!

Apart from agriculture, India's handloom industry has existed for ages and is the country's largest cottage industry in terms of employment opportunities. Despite having a glorious past, this ancient craft is now known for its dire situation and for slowly fading into obscurity as the industry struggles to survive due to numerous issues. The main causes of this include a large number of substituted products, insufficient training for skill upgrades, an unorganized structure, low wages, the reluctance of the younger generation to choose weaving as a means of subsistence, a small domestic market, the lack of creative designs and color combinations, fierce competition from power looms, the fast-fashion industry, poor marketing, shifting consumer preferences, and the availability of alternative employment opportunities. However, the handloom industry can still be revitalized as evidenced by the tenacity that handloom weavers continue to display in terms of survival and capacity for innovation. In order to contribute to the sustainability of traditional craft heritage and ensure continuous transmission of craft skills and knowledge from generation to generation, the current investigation aims to explore, identify, and address issues faced by traditional craftsmanship. This study offers Kota Doria Cluster insights at Kaithoon, Kota in order to help us better understand the cluster's current situation and offers recommendations for future development.

PRESERVATION OF CRAFT HERITAGE AND ITS POTENTIAL IN YOUTH ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT

The community's involvement in preserving cultural heritage is very important and greatly impacts it. One of the ways to involve the community in the preservation of cultural heritage, especially in fine arts and crafts, is to combine those efforts with economic benefits for the target group. The strategy will attract the community's interest, especially those looking for a job or wanting to increase their economic resources. Financial problems, job loss, and unemployment are big issues among today's youth. The study focuses on forming a step that can act as a double-edged sword that aims at two objectives; preserve cultural heritage and create new economic resources, especially for the youth. Therefore, this study aims to identify the potential of intangible cultural heritage (fine arts and crafts) in creating new economic resources for youth facing unemployment. This study was carried out using a mixed-methodology approach which is a combination of quantitative and qualitative implemented in Malaysia covering all zones, namely North Zone (Penang), West/Central Zone (Selangor), East Zone (Terengganu) and East Malaysia Zone (Sabah). The questionnaire involved 155 youth groups involved in the traditional craft sector. In-depth interview method with respondents consisting of government bodies such as the National Heritage Department, the Malaysian Handicrafts Development Corporation, and NGOs from other relevant agencies. The results of the study found that intangible cultural heritage (fine arts and crafts) can be preserved by making it a new economic resource among the youth. With the support of the government, help from the aspect of training, and the interest of the youth itself, the craft heritage has the potential to generate income while guaranteeing the sustainability of this cultural heritage. This study is expected to be a backup for the government in designing any cultural heritage preservation program that greatly impacts the community, especially the youth. It becomes a new economic source for them.

Business Sustainability Analysis of Tapis Jejama Kham MSMEs among Youth

The declining number of Tapis craftsmen signifies a waning cultural interest. It is imperative to proactively address the imperative of ensuring the continuity of Tapis Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as a means to safeguard Lampung's rich craft heritage in an ever-evolving world. Thus, a comprehensive analysis of the business sustainability of Tapis MSMEs within the younger generation, who serve as both successors and conservators of the Lampung Tapis tradition, becomes a necessity. This study is dedicated to evaluating the status of business continuity within the Tapis Jejama Kham MSME, conducted during September-October 2022 in Negeri Katon, Pesawaran, Lampung, Indonesia. The research engaged 32 respondents, all of whom were members of the Tapis Jejama Kham MSMEs, aged between 16 and 30 years. Employing a quantitative descriptive approach with a focus on the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) methodology, this study elucidates that the economic aspect, driven by the aspirations of the younger generation to enhance their family's standard of living, predominantly underpins the sustainability of this enterprise.

Native Craft Study at University Level as a Tool for Maintaining Craft Heritage: The Example of the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy, Estonia

AbstractThe present paper describes the native craft education and research carried out at the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy in Estonia. ‘Native crafts’ are understood as creative technical and cultural practices, applications, and developments that are based on traditional local crafting techniques, materials, design principles, and skills. The mission of the academy is to represent the values that reinforce and re-establish local and national traditions and identities through active participation in the cultural process. Its courses, which were launched in 1994, have been developed to cover the majority of the traditional crafting techniques, skills, and materials that are used throughout Estonia. By means of these courses, the academy has assumed responsibility for teaching, preserving, and integrating Estonian vernacular culture and skills. It is the only institution in Estonia advancing the practice-based research and popularization of Estonian traditional costumes, jewelry, and construction, for example, at the level of higher education. The present paper provides an overview of the BA and MA program in native crafts and their main developmental trends. It also offers a more detailed overview of costume studies as part of the textile program. It covers the history, techniques, and regional peculiarities of traditional costumes, as well as the innovative ways in which traditional materials, patterns, and ornaments can be used in modern fashion.

Animalistic style in creative practices of contemporary artists and creative industries

The beginning of the 21st century is marked by the global demand for innovative (creative) industries, based on unique authorship, experience and personal talent. Cultural industries are systematically transformed into the main factor of the socio-economic transformation on the basis of updating the industrial culture of production, creation and cultivation of artistic geniuses. The new challenges of the global art development transform the infrastructure of intellectual and creative entrepreneurship, production and export of artistic works. This article explores the author's style formation on the basis of the creative interpretation of Old Turkic (Scythian, Central Asian) menagerie, widely represented in the artistic heritage of the region. The incorporation of the animalistic style of ancient civilizations in the creative practices of contemporary artists is accompanied by a deep philosophical, artistic, technical and technological reworking of the traditional code of the artistic culture. The article conceptualizes three types of the artistic continuity: the craftsmen type that reproduces the Mongolian craftsmen canon; the cultural institutions that convert the craft heritage into the contemporary creative industries and the rare type of craftsmen-artists who synthesize both approaches, rethinking the canon, traditional techniques and technology of working with traditional materials. All three types are represented by different systems of styling, the core of which is the animalistic style. Contemporary artisans Zhigzhit Bayaskhalanov and Dashi Namdakov create unique artistic images and metaphors, use innovative ways of shaping, and apply illogical, provocative and asymmetrical compositional solutions, transforming regional artistic traditions into leading global trends. The success of this experience is caused by socio-cultural, institutional factors (education, ethnicity, social origin from the rural handicrafts circle), ethno-cultural backgrounds (craft heritage, the presence of the family art collaboration). The empirical basis of the research consisted of 6 in-depth interviews and dozens of case studies from the participant observation.

Slow Fashion Is Positively Linked to Consumers’ Well-Being: Evidence from an Online Questionnaire Study in China

The environmental price of fashion has been heavily scrutinised in recent years. Slow fashion, with its emphasis on quality, design, sustainability, ethicality and local craft heritage, represents an alternative to the harmful environmental and social impact of fast fashion. Equally important, some initial evidence from qualitative research suggests that slow fashion could enhance consumers’ well-being. The present study aims to quantitatively evaluate the relationships that fast and slow fashion may have with different domains of well-being, utilising Seligmen’s influential PERMA model from positive psychology. In addition, it explores characteristics from slow fashion that may enhance garment lifetimes. An online questionnaire successfully surveyed 763 urban Chinese consumers. Results showed that consumption of slow fashion, in particular ‘customised/bespoke clothing’ that allows consumers to be actively involved in the creation process, positively predicted three well-being domains—engagement, meaning and achievement. Fast fashion, on the other hand, negatively predicted these domains. Classic/timeless design, ease of maintenance and ease of matching with other clothes emerged as the three most important characteristics that may encourage consumers’ long-term use of fashion items. Implications of the findings are discussed in the context of promoting slow fashion to enhance sustainability.

Translating Change: A Continuity of Craft Heritage at Coventry Cathedral, UK

Change is historically seen as incompatible with built heritage. Paradoxically, change can charge heritage with enough cultural activity to facilitate its ongoing valorization. Change may therefore be better understood as a collection of recreations by contemporary societies, like how UNESCO portrays intangible heritage. However, to understand built heritage in this way, interpretative approaches must reconceptualize physical sites as constantly evolving in response to their ever-changing sociocultural context. Expanding on the history of linguistic analogies for architectural interpretation, this article explores ‘translation’ as an analogy that can illuminate constantly recreated traditions at built heritage sites. Using the Grade 1 listed Coventry Cathedral, UK, the craft traditions associated with the site are used as a vehicle to reconceptualize built heritage as constantly recreated in relation to temporal traditions (or ICH), which both perpetuate and transform the physical building across time. The article concludes by suggesting physical changes made to the site have simultaneously sustained and changed its craft traditions. Through constant recreation or translation, the site has maintained a commitment to its history whilst continually responding to present-day social needs. This not only ensures relevance to contemporary society but also creates a rich foundation for translation of its heritage into the future.

Craft and Legacy of the Traditional Woodcarvings of Adiguru Kraf, Allahyarham Wan Mustafa Wan Su

The art and craft of traditional Malay woodcarving may be forgotten by the modern generation. Consequently, it would gradually become an extinct craft in Malaysia if without effort to save its legacy. This paper aims to uncover traditional woodcarving's art and craft heritage and its visual attributes and craftsmanship in the works of a master craftsman, Allahyarham Wan Mustafa Wan Su, who was actively involved in the craft industry before he passed away in 2019. Traditional Malay wood carving is synonymous with the Malay heritage, especially in the Northern Eastern states of Peninsula Malaysia. Safeguarding of this intangible heritage is crucial after the departure of the master craftsman, who had contributed a lot to the woodcarving industry. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to analyse his works concerning his crafts and styles of craftsmanship. His opinions that served as inferential evidence were obtained through a face-to-face interview conducted within an informal setting. The semi-structured conversation focused on the craft and craftsmanship of woodcarving, with particular emphasis on the visual attributes and technique used. Observation and photographic documentation of his works were necessary measures to complement the interviews. Hence, this paper also addresses the examination of the woodcarvings produced by the master, which exemplifies his distinctive craftsmanship. The research founds that additional values, including artistic and design skills, further enrich the products of the master carver, which not only provide a stimulus for admiration but also serve as valuable references for the present and future generation of woodcarvers. Thus, from this research, the knowledge about woodcarving could spread for further research to ensure the future survival of the craft heritage.

Challenges and Scope of Development: A Case Study of Paithani Weavers of Maharashtra (India)

India has a rich and heterogeneous textile craft heritage which is globally appreciated for its skills and craftsmanship. It plays a significant role in the economic development and employment generation of the country. Paithani sari flourished in Paithan town during the Satavahana era in 200 BCE. It is a pride of Maharashtra, India. The Paithani weavers are currently having a lack of new orders in the global pandemic so they are selling the products at minimal cost to the middle man. The traditional weaver is suffering to get enough amounts even in non-pandemic conditions. The study aims to identify the reasons behind the financial crisis and loopholes in connections between the weavers and the market. The data is collected through the interviews conducted with thirty Paithani weavers. The analysis showed a strong correlation between crises and connectivity. The study aims to determine how the gap between weavers and customers can get connected in order to increase the individual income on a regular basis. The study concludes that weaver has to get further B2C marketing platforms such as e-commerce websites are necessary to make available for them to sell their original products direct to the customer. Thus the art will carry its 2200 years old tradition over the next generation.

Preserving cultural craft heritage: Digitizing a traditional Syrian clothing collection

This project explores the importance of the preservation of diverse private collections of crafted artefacts, and specifically improving digital access. The focus is on the transformation of an assemblage of 100 Syrian garments held in the United States into a museum-quality, publicly accessible archive. Private collections that are not financially endowed face various challenges, including their culturally valuable content being inaccessible and underseen. The goal of archiving and exhibiting this collection of garments is to share Syria’s dress and craft history as a form of identity, community, economy, artistic expression and technological development. Each item is unique, representing an everyday life that no longer exists. As people moved to new geographical locations, craft traditions were not always carried with them. Consequently, the garments and accessories in this collection feature dyeing techniques, metalwork and symbolic representations of different generations of Syrian people from this ancient to present civilization. Throughout the research process, we learned to synthesize the core issues of contemporary craft heritage management, with an initial goal to build a new digital archiving method and template to benefit small or private collections outside of institutions. First, we determined how to do so using affordable and accessible tools, in line with manageable industry standards. Digital photography, metadata development, object labelling, and anecdotal interviews complement the existing collection information. The long-term goal is the dissemination of the collection through exhibitions, interactive websites, symposiums and publications. Museums are working harder to diversify their collections, and many private collections represent marginalized cultures or do not fit within the established parameters of public institutions. This study touches upon the disparate and specific needs of private versus public collecting, and how to bridge some of the gaps using standardized digitization techniques towards similar preservation and outreach goals.

Representing narratives in digital libraries: The narrative ontology

Digital Libraries (DLs), especially in the Cultural Heritage domain, are rich in narratives. Every digital object in a DL tells some kind of story, regardless of the medium, the genre, or the type of the object. However, DLs do not offer services about narratives, for example it is not possible to discover a narrative, to create one, or to compare two narratives. Certainly, DLs offer discovery functionalities over their contents, but these services merely address the objects that carry the narratives (e.g. books, images, audiovisual objects), without regard for the narratives themselves. The present work aims at introducing narratives as first-class citizens in DLs, by providing a formal expression of what a narrative is. In particular, this paper presents a conceptualisation of the domain of narratives, and its specification through the Narrative Ontology (NOnt for short), expressed in first-order logic. NOnt has been implemented as an extension of three standard vocabularies, i.e. the CIDOC CRM, FRBRoo, and OWL Time, and using the SWRL rule language to express the axioms. On the basis of NOnt, we have developed the Narrative Building and Visualising (NBVT) tool, and applied it in four case studies to validate the ontology. NOnt is also being validated in the context of the Mingei European project, in which it is applied to the representation of knowledge about Craft Heritage.

Cultural production and transmission in museums: A social practice perspective

Integrating craft heritage with tourism activities is one way to perpetuate craft culture. The museums alongside Hangzhou's Grand Canal innovatively address craft heritage perpetuation by fostering interactions between visitors and craft-makers. Combining social practice theory with interaction ritual theory, this study explores the viability of this initiative through interviews with artisans who work in museums and interact with visitors. Craft-makers' work routines consist of three practices: cultural production, transmission, and operation. These practices demonstrate both collaborative and competitive relationships. The nature of relationships depends on whether or not ritual ingredients are congruent. The craft-makers develop different levels of agency to cope with tensions. This study enhances understanding of heritage perpetuation and visitor engagement.

The Street and the Screen: Egyptian Tentmakers and Craft Online

The tentmakers of Cairo have a history of resiliently adapting their craft to the demands of the world around them. For generations, operating from small workshops in the heart of the historic city of Cairo, they have responded to local and international demand, as well as speculatively developing new products based on their own vision and understanding of their market. Today, these craftsmen, working in the decorative technique of needle-turned cotton-on-canvas appliqué known as khayamiya (from the Arabic for “tent”) and utilizing social media and the Internet, have developed new understandings of their craft heritage through engagement with global craft networks and international forums. The tentmakers’ craft practice is linked to changing uses and production of khayamiya, the vulnerability of Egyptian tourism, and local perceptions regarding the value of khayamiya as a craft. Despite fears relating to the sustainability of the craft, the future of the tentmakers gives cause for optimism.New international markets - namely western craft exhibitions specialized either in quilts and textiles - are changing khayamiya design. They bring a new appreciation of the craft for audiences with little previous exposure to Egyptian craft and heritage, supporting the competitive drive for higher-quality objects. Use of online spaces - Facebook, Etsy, and Instagram - challenge some of the foundations of the craft, such as who becomes a tentmaker, how their businesses operate, attitudes to the ownership of designs, and the introduction of new visual elements and business collaborations. This paper will review these forward-looking implications for Egyptian khayamiya, noting how the dynamics of the street and the screen are shaping global engagement with this contemporary craft. The research relies on conversations with the tentmakers and online research carried out by the authors in 2019.

Revitalization of Handloom Communities for Preserving the Craft Heritage of Bangladesh

In Bangladesh there is a huge possibility in the sector of low cost industry and handloom is the prominent one of them. The Handloom Industry is one of the oldest cultural heritages of Bangladesh, which is mostly accomplished as a home based industry involving traditional crafts like muslin, jamdani, tanter saree that they have inherited from their ancestors. These products are the major part of our low cost industry and also a part of history and heritage of our country. Handloom industries, once dominated in the apparel sector of the subcontinent are on the verge of disappearance due to a couple of reasons like lack of preservation, dedicated space, manpower crisis, breaking down of communities, product competitiveness, lack of marketing skill etc. Some communities nearby Dhaka such as Tangail, Mymensign, Kishoreganj, Narayanganj, Narsingdi, Kaliakoir has been working in the sector of handloom for a long period of time. But because of the breaking the bonding of those community and lack of preservation of their heritage this sector is now losing their interest. For restoring the community bonding and preserving the heritage there could be created a common interconnected space. Gazipur Sadar is such a place which resides in between all those six districts. There are a good national, regional and local linkage through infrastructure between those areas and Gazipur Sadar. As there are no specific spaces of those communities to exhibit and sell their products; an area in Gazipur Sadar near Chilai Khal, could be proposed as an expo area for reviving the heritage of those handlooms communities. This study recommends developing a heritage hub to revitalize these communities as well as promoting their handloom industries both nationally and internationally.

Sustaining craft's heritage: Place, people and practice

Sustaining craft's heritage: Place, people and practice

Preservation of Cultural Heritage Embodied in Traditional Crafts in the Developing Countries. A Case Study of Pakistani Handicraft Industry

Cultural heritage embodied in traditional crafts is an integral part of any nation which reflects the culture and tradition of a particular region. Although the importance of handicraft has been widely recognized, the literature regarding preservation of traditional craft is scarce. The present paper aimed to explore and identify issues faced by traditional craftsmanship in developing countries and to address those issues in order to contribute to the sustainability of traditional craft heritage and ensure continuous transmission of craft skills and knowledge from generation to generation. Our study identified several key issues which poses substantial challenges to the preservation of traditional craft heritage in developing countries. In order to add empirical evidence, we examined the case of Pakistani handicraft industry that provided further understanding of highlighted issues which traditional craft heritage face. We have suggested some policies to promote, develop and preserve the traditional craft heritage. The significance of these policy suggestions is underlined with the case study of Pakistan.

Ambiguities of the hedge: an exercise in creative pleaching – of moments, memories and meanings

ABSTRACTThis paper reviews a range of published material on the English hedgerow, and its ambiguous role in both landscape history and contemporary countryside management. While there is a strand of recent landscape history scholarship that can be stridently critical of the hedge as a technology of subjection, connected invariably with Parliamentary enclosure and proletarianisation, the English hedgerow is also an iconic symbol of rural tranquillity, and mainstay of many conservation and biodiversity agendas, with hedge-laying — the practice of constructing a living hedge — championed as a key item of rural craft heritage. Making space for a dynamic biography of hedges and hedge-laying, and reflecting on an auto-ethnographic account of working on a particular hedge in Warwickshire, this paper explores the possibilities for an account of hedgerows that can steer a pathway between narratives that are critical of hedges-as-enclosure, and a conservation ambition that might seem to preserve hedges in aspic.

Applying the community capitals framework to the craft heritage trails of western North Carolina

ABSTRACTHandMade in America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of craft heritage, identified tourism as an economic development strategy for their service area, the North Carolina Appalachian Mountains. In 1996, HandMade released a guidebook, The Craft Heritage Trails of Western North Carolina, which was designed to draw visitors to rural mountain communities where they could discover artists among the surroundings where they draw inspiration. The book was updated in two subsequent additions, and a spin-off book Farms, Gardens, and Countryside Trails was released in 2002. This study utilizes the Community Capitals Framework (CCF) to illustrate how HandMade’s tourism strategy of trail development positively impacted multiple forms of community capital in rural communities. The CCF is a holistic system encompassing several forms of capital: natural, cultural, human, social, political, financial, and built. The results demonstrate the ripple effect of impacts of HandMade’s heritage trail development efforts.