Master Craftsman Research Articles

Kota Doriya: Current Trials and Challenges

Kota Doriya is a fabled woven fabric originating from India. It has a unique weave structure and is woven using a technique which makes it different from the rest. This research aims to document the journey of the magical Kota Doria which is disguised in mystery and folktales. The woven Kota Doriya has been awarded the Geographical Indication tag by UNESCO in July 2005. This article elucidates on the techniques adopted by the weavers, which makes the Kota fabric a unique fabric and a testimony to the superior weaving traditions of India. The ‘Ansari’ Muslim community of the Hadauti region largely practices this weaving apart from other regions like the Bundi and Baran districts of Rajasthan. With the large-scale advent of the mechanised loom and synthetic yarns, cheaper imitations of Kota have posed a serious threat to the survival of this craft. Through this research, the timeless Kota fabric will be studied and the current trials and challenges will be assessed. This study is conducted through a combination of secondary, as well as, primary research methods including a case study on the master craftsman of Kota Doriya weaving.

A large church in a village that failed to become a city

The Oude Jeroenskerk in the South Holland coastal village of Noordwijk is the largest, and one of the most perfectly preserved, late medieval village churches in the provinces of South and North Holland. Compared with the village in which it stands and the village churches in the surrounding area, the Oude Jeroenskerk is not just beautifully proportioned, but above all remarkably large. This phenomenon – a large church in a small settlement – is clearly interesting, yet it has never been the subject of specific research. Following the miraculous discovery in 976 of the bones of Jeroen, a missionary murdered in 856 by the Norsemen, the ancient Nordcha settlement developed into a place of pilgrimage with urban tendencies. The subsequent ‘discovery’ of Jeroen’s skull in around 1316 furthered the growth of both the village and the church. On 1 April 1398 the village was granted a city charter, but this was subsequently withdrawn on 12 March 1399.The applicants’ right to make such an application was challenged and those involved had plainly underestimated the costs associated with city status. What remained was an under-construction large church, which was eventually completed in around 1500. The construction and appearance of the Oude Jeroenskerk would seem to have been heavily influenced by the count and the local nobility, beginning with Count Dirk II, who granted permission to erect a church in 976. The architects of the brick church are unknown, but it is conceivable that the first element, a tower (1260), was the work of the master craftsman Albrecht van Velsen. In the same period he was involved in the erection of the Leeuwenhorst Cistercian convent in nearby Noordwijkerhout. The phase in which the church acquired its three-aisle, pseudo-basilica layout was possibly initiated by Count Albrecht van Beieren (1336-1404). It was he who heeded the desire of a group of ambitious villagers to elevate their village to the status of a city. This assumption is based on remarkable similarities in floor plan and elevation with the Sint Jacobskerk in ’s-Gravenhage before its radical renovation between 1434 and 1492. It is assumed that the transept (1389) in that church was commissioned by Albrecht. It was during Albrecht’s period of office that the current choir of the Oude Jeroenskerk was built (1389-1405), followed by the transept and three-aisle nave (1415/1425-1444/1500). The Sint Jacobskerk became the main church, located in the administrative heart of the county. The Oude Jeroenskerk remained an important pilgrim church up until the Reformation. A church of substantial proportions that reflected contemporary urban aspirations and still looks like an urban parish church. In terms of materials and detailing it was simple and sober and as such comparable with village churches in the surrounding area and with the Sint Jacobskerk in ’s-Gravenhage until the latter’s reconstruction in 1434. Noordwijk had the potential to grow into a small city. It had the status of a place of pilgrimage, was a religious centre and boasted a relatively large population, including members of the nobility. A large church capable of accommodating local residents and pilgrims corresponded with the urban ambitions of a group of locals. Although those briefly realized ambitions were soon dashed, what remained was the Oude Jeroenskerk: a gothic, pseudo-basilica cruciform church with a square-based tower incorporated on three sides in a three-aisled nave.

Exploring Consumer Procurement Patterns: A Comparative Analysis Between H&m And Zara

Embark on a quest to unravel the enigmatic tapestry woven by the whims of Indian youth, where the threads of fashion brands H&M and Zara intertwine. This odyssey delves into the depths of the ever-evolving Indian fashion realm, seeking to illuminate the alignment between the young and these sartorial titans, unveiling the intricate patterns that guide their sartorial pursuits. The journey unfolds through a harmonious fusion of qualitative and quantitative methodologies, a symphony of surveys, interviews, and observational data analysis. Qualitative melodies unveil the intrinsic motivations that orchestrate consumer choices, while quantitative cadences lend statistical validation and broader insights into the rhythms of buying patterns. The fruits of this expedition hold profound implications for H&M, Zara, and all those who navigate the Indian fashion market's currents. By comprehending the nuanced preferences and behaviors of the youth demographic, brands can tailor their product assortments, marketing strategies, and brand positioning efforts with the deft hand of a master artisan. The recommendations born from this odyssey shall serve as beacons, guiding strategic decisions towards heightened brand awareness, expanded market reach, and elevated customer satisfaction. This voyage into the unknown contributes a novel symphony to the annals of consumer behavior within the Indian fashion industry. By focusing on the unique context of youth consumer preferences and behaviors towards H&M and Zara, the study weaves an original tapestry of market trends and consumer dynamics. Furthermore, it illuminates paths for improvement, such as amplifying awareness of collections and catering to diverse income groups, thus enriching the strategic planning and decision-making processes for brands and marketers alike.

Verification and Establishment of Techniques of Ajami Artwork

Ajami, a technique of painted wood paneling, was popular in the Ottoman Empire from the 17th to the late 18th centuries. Ajami art became prominent in Syria after the decline of tile production, and it rose to a sophisticated level of art in both local and global markets. Today, however, Ajami art has become almost forgotten and unknown by the modern generation, due to being an exclusive art that can be seen only in palaces, museums, and historical houses. This study investigates the traditional method and techniques of making Ajami, with a focus on the work of a renowned Syrian Ajami art master artisan named Mr. Abdulraouf. The study aims to identify and document the traditional method of Ajami production and determine the materials and techniques used for making Ajami. The study found that Ajami art consists of natural elements that are utilized in four main stages; foundation, design, painting, and finishing. The artisans have a strong preference for floral and geometric designs, influenced by Islamic religious beliefs. The findings of this study could serve as an educational guide to preserve heritage and make it presentable for the present and future generations.

대몽항쟁기 전남지역 ‘山城ㆍ海島⼊保’의 현황과 특징

The purpose of this study is to examine the current status and characteristics of the remains of strongholds for protection in fortresses and islands utilized in Jeollanam-do during Goryeo Dynasty’s Wars against Mongolian Invasion, focusing on the remains of that period investigated in that region so far. As is well known, Goryeo’s strategy for resisting the Mongolian invasion was to build strongholds for protection in fortresses or islands since the wars against Mongolian invasion began in August 1231 (the 18th year of King Gojong’s reign). These two strategies were implemented throughout the nation following the transfer of the capital to Ganghwa carried out by Choi Woo. In that respect, in Jeollanam-do, fortresses for protection were built on rugged mountains in the inland area, and strongholds for protection on islands including castles were built on islands adjacent to the coastal area of the southwestern coast. In particular, after 1253 (the 40th year of King Gojong’s reign), the Mongolian army began attacking islands in the southwestern coastal area of Jeollanam-do in response to Goryeo’s strategy of building strongholds for protection on islands. Nevertheless, Goryeo achieved the expected results in the battles of Jangseong Ibamsanseong fortress and Shinan Aphaedo, Jeollanam-do by effectively using the strategy of building strongholds for protection on fortresses and islands. These results seem to have originated from the activities of Banghobyulgam, who played a key role in the implementation and operation of the strategy of building strongholds for protection, as well as the strategy of building strongholds for protection in fortresses and islands implemented with meticulous planning after the transfer of the capital to Ganghwado. On one hand, the reality of the strategy of building strongholds for protection on fortresses and islands carried out in Jeollanam-do during Goryeo’s Wars against Mongolian Invasion has made it possible to understand specifically about building strongholds for protection on islands rather than fortresses. Fortresses for protection built in the inland area shows significant differences from ancient fortresses in terms of location, scale, and structural characteristics. However, it has something in common with fortresses for protection in Gangwon-do and central inland areas. On the other hand, Jindo Yongjangseong itself has great implications in that Yongjangseong, which was used as the center for the wars against Mongolian invasion, is fortress similar to a castle town built in consideration of the geographical characteristics and geopolitical position of an island. Yongjangseong consists of Yongjangsanseong fortress, which is a large-scale stone fortress spanning 13km, and a palace built using an existing mountainous Buddhist temple. The spatial structure of Yongjangseong fortress is understood to be a new castle town structure that combines the locational characteristics of an island and the spatial structures of Gaegyeong or Ganghwa based on the fortress for protection built under the plan of the Ganghwado government. This fortress began to be built according to the strategy of building strongholds for protection on islands carried out after the transfer of the capital to Ganghwado, and was finally completed following the transfer of the capital to Jindo. In this regard, attention is paid to roof tiles with an inscription 「Master artisan Hyein the 3rd month of Gyemyo (Guimao in Chinese) year」 and roof tiles showing an isomorphic or homogeneous set relationship, which are found simultaneously in Yongjangsanseong fortress and major islands along the southwestern coast.

Deregulierung, Re-Regulierung – Auswirkungen der Rückvermeisterung im Handwerk

Abstract The obligation to obtain a master craftsman’s certificate in order to set up a new business was suspended in 2004 for some trades in the German skilled crafts sector, but was reintroduced for some of them in 2020. This paper presents the first empirical results of this re-regulation and places them in the context of the policy discussion. The results so far indicate a reversal of the 2004 deregulation effects on German crafts after the re-regulation. Future in-depth studies will show whether these effects are robust.

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM SOUVENIRS: FOSTERING CULTURAL HERITAGE PRESERVATION THROUGH LOCAL HANDICRAFT PRODUCT

The study aims to investigate the relationship between cultural tourism and traditional handicraft experiences on local handicrafts products namely souvenirs. It explores the significance of souvenir products through sustainable tourism practices and preserving cultural heritage. A qualitative approach is used to analyse the tourism souvenir in the market and proposes a new recommendation to meet the demands. Literature review, interviews, and case studies are employed to explore a strategy for enhancing the commercial value of tourism souvenirs. Interviews with master craftsmen, practitioners, and consumers provided insights the resource development, product innovation, production organisation, and market positioning. It also obtained a good understanding of customer experiences related to local handicraft products for effective marketing strategies based on customer experiences. The finding indicates that the sustainability of tourism souvenirs plays a crucial role in cultural heritage preservation, supporting the local economy, and enhancing overall tourism experiences for tourists as well as promoting traditional handicrafts, safeguarding indigenous knowledge, and facilitating cultural exchange between tourists and local artisans.

Shared digital artifacts – Co-creators as beneficiaries in microlearning development

Continuing vocational training benefits from the employees’ ability to share individual experience and expertise with their co-workers, as these assets constitute competitive advantages for companies. IT-supported systems can facilitate processes of knowledge elicitation (e. g. as part of collaborative co-creation) to ensure retainment of preferred qualitative characteristics of the resulting knowledge artifacts and provide ample opportunities to manage and configure a growing number of such artifacts in a company’s repository. It remains unclear however, how such collaborative and digital co-creation processes can benefit the individual co-creators’ expertise development. To address this gap in research and practice, an IT-supported co-creation system for microlearnings is designed and evaluated with master craftsman trainees of an inter-company vocational training center. With the deployment of the co-creation system, knowledge elaboration was examined via a qualitative evaluation of concept maps. By applying categories of the maps’ semantic properties and comparing features of expert knowledge derived from expertise research and concept mapping literature, we evaluate the process’ function to support expert knowledge elaboration as a desirable learning outcome for co-creators of shared digital artifacts. Analysis of the concept maps shows an absence of theoretical reasoning and an emphasis on contextual factors with minute details of work processes, indicating more practical than expert knowledge formation when co-creating shared digital artifacts. To improve the IT system’s effective support for expert knowledge elicitation, adjustments to the structured procedure are discussed and future research directions and limitations of this study are addressed.

A framework to assess resilience attributes based on local knowledge

New coexistence scenarios have been imposed on fishermen in the Santos Estuarine System region, a coastal city located 75 km from the largest city in Latin America (São Paulo). Whether due to the expansion of port and industrial activities, or due to the environmental liabilities associated with other human activities, thousands of workers from fishing communities are compelled to seek new forms of subsistence in the face of the gradual reduction of their fishing territories. The objective of this investigation was to develop a methodological framework to assess, based on local knowledge, ecological and social attributes of resilience in socio-ecological systems of small-scale fisheries over the last decades. To experimentally test the application of the framework, pilot interviews with fishermen, master craftsman and local leaders of the Santos Estuarine System were carried out with questions on aspects concerning eleven attributes of resilience, for three different time periods (currently, 25 years ago, and 50 years ago). Scores were assigned to the responses according to the contribution of the aspect addressed to the resilience of small-scale fisheries in the face of the various disturbances suffered over the years. The attribute scores in each period were then compared in a multivariate manner and the results of this pilot evaluation showed a decrease in overall resilience in recent decades, according to the perceptions of interviewees. Ecological attributes showed a significant decrease in the same period associated with anthropic pressures with losses in the attributes diversity, modularity and variability. Social resilience attributes did not show significant variation, although there was an increase in the attributes recognition of slow variables, tight feedbacks and overlap in governance. Although the use of the framework proposed requires its application on a broader scale for the characterization of resilience of small-scale fishing communities, the present study demonstrated that the methodological framework is applicable and provides useful information on attributes of socio-ecological resilience based on local knowledge.

Migracje rzemieślników na ziemiach polskich w średniowieczu i na progu czasów nowożytnych w świetle źródeł archiwalnych

The oldest, medieval travels of journeymen who searched for work in other cities were initially treated as natural prolongation of their study period. Over time, such migrations became an important way to find a job or higher wage, although the desire to deepen professional skills or meet new people and get acquainted with new places were other important factors. Since the 15th century, the obligation of additional travel might have been treated as a punishment after an unsuccessful attempt to deliver proof of technical competence (the „masterpiece”). It happened also that departing from workshops could be the result of conflict situations between journeymen and their masters. Wars fought in the Middle Ages or epidemics affecting areas were not without significance when considering traveling in search for work by journeymen. Since the 15th/16th century, in some guilds from the presented locations, journeymen's travel became a statutory, obligatory duty, the fulfillment of which allowed to achieve full journeyman rights, and later enabled the candidates to initiate process aiming at the highest accomplishment: the title of master craftsman.

Benefits Granted to Slaves or Domestic Servants by their Masters on Lusignan Cyprus: Evidence from the Notarial Deeds, 1362–1458

This paper examines the evidence gleaned from Venetian and Genoese notarial deeds prepared on Cyprus during the period 1362-1458 to examine and discuss the relations between domestic slaves or servants, usually but not invariably female, and their masters, predominantly male. Some of these deeds were wills, containing bequests to servile women who had probably been in long term sexual relationships with their owners and to the illegitimate children who had been born from such relationships. Some of the apprenticeship contracts drawn up in Famagusta, the chief port of the island, also concern illegitimate children born to female slaves or maidservants, who were apprenticed at the owner’s expense for a number of years to a master craftsman so as to learn a trade and make a living on their completion of the apprenticeship. Some owners bequeathed houses to women other than their wives, either as a gift or else stipulating their right to reside in them. Sometimes moveable property such as furniture, bedding, silver or valuable objects were bequeathed, or even sums of money. Clearly at least some masters wished to provide for their mistresses and illegitimate children, thereby ensuring their welfare after their own deaths. By way of comparison, in Genoa masters who had sired illegitimate children with their female slaves frequently avoided paying for their upbringing, differing in this respect. Yet even on Cyprus concern on the part of masters for slaves or servants was not standard practice. Evidence from the fifteenth century Cypriot chronicle of Leontios Makhairas shows that slaves were sometimes treated cruelly, even to the point of driving them to suicide.

THE SMALLS SWORD GUARD: DISCOVERY, SIGNIFICANCE AND EXPERIMENTAL REPLICATION OF A HIBERNO-URNES MASTERPIECE

One of the finest examples of secular Hiberno-Urnes art from England and Wales was discovered by a diver on the offshore reef known as The Smalls (Welsh Gwales), Pembrokeshire, in the Irish Sea. The guard was probably made in Ireland about ad 1100–25 in a distinctive Hiberno-Scandinavian decorative style and technique with niello and silver inlays, and it illustrates the skills of a master craftsman or saer working for secular and ecclesiastical patrons. The findspot is now designated as historic wreck site under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1976 (no. 38).

Dispatches from the Farm: The Literary Craft of John Gould’s Maine Humor

Dispatches from the Farm: The Literary Craft of John Gould’s Maine Humor

Pussy Hats, Politics, and Public Protest

Pussy Hats, Politics, and Public Protest

Acting in Nigerian Video Films: A Critique of Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen’s Invasion 1897

Acting plays a crucial function in the art of motion pictures. The art advance from making the audience participate in the director’s fantasy and take it as actuality. Actors are the most indelible party in a film. It is a fact that people and not technology make film as a form to express the society we live in. A unique act of art acting cannot just be faked. An actor cannot give anything out if the actor has nothing inside. In this paper, we will examine the concept of acting and the role it plays in film. We will then examine it within the context of method acting in Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen’s Invasion 1897 (2014) in order to identify and expose the slopping acting of the white cast. No doubt, the director’s casting is representational by establishing the identity of the actors of the period of the Benin Kingdom over a hundred years ago. Taking note of the above factor, this paper strives to throw the firework on the director as the master craftsman who casts his actor and is the guiding force that make all the decisions. We will then tender hints or clues towards the best bib to harness the actors of period characters by nourishing and nurturing to give a spruce acting.

The evolution of educational wage differentials for women and men in Germany, from 1996 to 2019

This paper studies the evolution of three higher education wage differentials from 1996 to 2019 in Germany. We distinguish between degrees from academic universities, degrees from universities of applied sciences, and the master craftsman\\craftswoman certificate. The educational reference category is a standard degree within the German vocational education and training system. Based on samples of male and female workers from the Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP), regression methods show that all three educational wage differentials in 2019 exceeded the ones in 1996. However, workers graduating from universities experienced an inverse u-shape pattern with a maximum of about 0.5 log points around 2012. Since then, their wage differential decreased by nearly ten percent (about 0.045 log points). Although the decrease is not statistically significant at conventional levels, we think that nearly ten percent can be regarded as economically meaningful. We argue that this pattern is related to university expansion and changes in graduates’ subject-choice composition during that expansion. The paper concludes with a discussion of possible alternative explanations.

Approaches to Teaching the Works of Cormac McCarthy

Approaches to Teaching the Works of Cormac McCarthy

Bernard Bailyn on the Craft and Art of Historical Writing

Bernard Bailyn on the Craft and Art of Historical Writing

Consciousness in Toni Morrison's Novel the Bluest Eye

Toni Morrison is the most well-known sophisticated novelist in the history of African American literature. She has been recognised as a strident voice for exploited black people as well as master craftsman of the dominant artistic form. The Bluest Eye is a tragic tale about a young, black girl Pecola and her desire for the bluest eyes, the symbol for her of what it means to be beautiful and therefore worthy in society. It clarifies the damaging impacts of white standards and the importance on the lives of black people. It represents very sad feeling in terms of tragic conditions of blacks in racist America. She investigates the devastating effects of the beauty standards of the dominant culture of the self-image of the African female adolescent. Exploring the complexity of black female experience in white America, Toni Morrison attempts to resolve the contradiction inherent in her African American identity as a black women writer. In the novel The Bluest Eye it shows the terrible consequences for black internalising the values of a white culture that both directly & indirectly rejects them. A close study of the interrelationship of race, gender, and class in the novels of Toni Morrison reveals the emergence of a revolutionary pattern. This paper attempts to find out the trial of the blacks women in search of self-identity in the novel of Toni Morrison.

Religious Otherness and National Identity in Scandinavia, c. 1790–1960: The Construction of Jews, Mormons, and Jesuits as Anti-citizens and Enemies of Society

Religious Otherness and National Identity in Scandinavia, c. 1790–1960: The Construction of Jews, Mormons, and Jesuits as Anti-citizens and Enemies of Society