Traditional Crafts

Abstract

According to existing literature, art and craft are the essential activity of human mind featured with imagination and innovation and ornamented by variation of shapes, texture and colors.  It laid emphasis on aesthetic excellence and creative collaboration through the design element. Through the ages, design component is considered as the visual dialogue and straightest path for the understanding of divergent culture, religion and tradition. The language of design deals with the external and internal aspect of images that create visual appearance and forms a relationship between art and craft. Over a period of time, elephant form has been applied in various art, craft and architecture with hidden meaning. Concerning to this, Saharanpur the commercial district of Uttar Pradesh rose to prominence during Mughal Period. Situated in the Indo-Gangatic Plains under the shadow of Shiwalik foothills, the district reveals a strong cultural past with aesthetic expression. Under the patronage of different monarchs it developed a unique style of wood carving primarily done on Shisham wood borrowing elements from Mughal art and architecture, a characteristic of Indo-Islamic-Persian style. Saharanpur woodcraft became a part of cultural heritage and protected by Geographical Indications (GI) tag. In Saharanpur woodcraft, elephant as a decorative element has been lavishly implemented with the abundance of floral and geometrical decorations on wood and stone carving as well as wall paintings. These wide varieties of decorations demonstrate the glimpse of Indian art as well as the mystery of Mughal art. Despite knowing the existence of the elephant motif in Hindu mythology, it was adopted in the Mughal art with impressive manner. The aim of writing this paper is to study the factors which were largely responsible for the application of elephant motif in Saharanpur woodcraft. The purpose of depiction of this motif is not only the ornamentation and decoration but also the adoption of it in human life with essential aspects. The conclusive remarks will highlight the significance of elephant motif for woodcraft.

Keywords: Elephant, Decorative Element, Hindu Mythology, Mughal Art.

Textiles produced by Tai-Kadai peoples are widely admired and much studied, but to date there has been no comparative survey of weaving techniques. Looms and techniques are transmitted between generations in a conservative manner, and have the potential to reveal deep connections between different groups. In this paper I present a survey of loom and patterning techniques, using a mapping approach, combined with comparative analysis similar to that used by linguists. The results trace Tai migration routes, and parallel the findings of linguists in many respects, with some significant differences. They also highlight the important contribution made by Tai-Kadai weavers to the development of the complex patterning systems (drawloom systems) that eventually found their way to the silk weaving industry in Europe.

Naqsh exhaustively explores and documents the art of wood carving in the traditional architecture of Gujarat. Traversing from the history and evolution of wood carving of India, the book investigates the tools and techniques applied by the craftsmen working within the trade guilds. The focus remains on ornamentation (symbols, motifs and patterns) witnessed on the wooden houses, categorized and analyzed by its aesthetics, occurrence in time and physical-symbolic relation. Their linkages found in other cultures are also in discussion through the dissemination of this art. You can also visit www.naqsh.in to get an overview on this book.

Given the low standing of vocational studies in English education and other systems around the world at the present time, it is refreshing to note the resurgence of interest in craft and manual work. The currently popular BBC programme, The Repair Shop, is a celebration of this renewed interest and offers an especially graphic representation of the virtues and values of craft and handwork. It is suggested that such example of cultural practice can help towards the enhancement of vocational education and training in schools and colleges, and assist in bridging of the divisions between academic and vocational studies at all levels of education systems.

Qanats represented a major technological solution for water supply in arid and semi-arid regions for millennia. Thanks to their multiple social and economic benefits, qanat-like systems spread from Iran through the Middle East in most of the arid and semi-arid regions of the world. In recent years, this valuable traditional hydraulic technology has been neglected in preservation and reuse due to the lack of management as well as the lack of legal support. This precious heritage and sustainable water supply system according to their sustainable structural features has been replaced by modern water collection and management systems such as dams and other hydroelectric infrastructures along with new pumping technologies. However, there is a growing consensus on the number of short, medium and long-term issues emerging from these systems including pollution and other environmental damages, regional conflicts, political pressures as well as their limited lifetime and structural instabili...

Transcription of an oral history interview with hooked-rug maker Alice Moores of Red Bay, Labrador. Topics covered include: the difference between hooked and poked mats; Grenfell mats; craft production; designs for mats and rugs; use of silk stockings; contemporary designs; process of mat making; tools used; mat frames; and changes to the tradition over time.

FORTIDSVERN år hus ikkje lengre er i bruk vil som regel forfallet akselreire og huset kan bli både skjemmande og ein stor utgiftspost for eigaren. Kanskje kan ei ombygging og modernisering vere ei løysing for mange hus? Det er ikkje alltid slikt svarar seg økonomisk. Det blir også lett til at inngrepa vert så dramatiske at det er lite att av det gamle huset som ein ville ta vare på. Sjølv om flytting av hus også er dramatisk, så kan det vere ei god løysing som eit alternativ til riving eller brenning. I 2008 fekk eg spørsmål om å kome å sjå på den gamle tømra stova på garden Berg-lund i Målselv. Eg skulle vurdere om det kunne vere mogleg å de-montere stova for flytting til ny tomt. Huset skulle uansett bort for å gi plass til eit nytt bustadhus. Huset var to etasjar og målte litt under 8,5 x 12 meter i grunnflate. Av erfaring visste eg at å flytte eit slikt stor hus er mykje arbeid og kan også vere krevjande. Eg rekna det ikkje som sannsynleg at det kunne vere saerleg mange aktuelle kjøparar av slikt i Indre Troms. Eg syntes likevel det var for galt om huset ikkje vart teke vare på. Det ende med at eg og min sambuar, Siv Holmin, også tradisjonshandverker, bestemte oss for å plukke ned huset for å setje det opp som bustadhus for oss sjølv. HANDSAGA Huset er bygd av lokalt tømmer som er handsaga på sagstilling til drygt 5 " tjukk vegg. Eg reknar med at huset er bygd kring 1894 og at det har vore ein del tømrarar med på byggjearbeidet. Eg har funne namnetrekket til Iver Berglund på ein av stokkane, på ein stad som vart utilgjengeleg etter at huset var ferdig. Truleg var han ein av tøm-rarane som var med og bygde. Det er 4 innvendige deleveggar som strekk seg over to etasjar. I tømringa frå syll og opp til kråka, den øvs-te stokken i røsta, er det 39 omfar. Det gir kring 1800 løpemeter med veggstokk. Når ein legg til alle andre bygningsdelar i huset så blir det MÅ FLYTTAST BERGLUND I MÅLSELV Det er ikkje vanskeleg å vere einig i at det nesten alltid er best for eit hus å få stå på den staden det vart sett opp. Det er her det har blitt ein " naturleg " del av landskapet og gjerne er ein del av eit meir eller mindre heilskapleg bygningsmiljø. Det er her veret har prøvd seg på å bryte ned tak og veggar og brukarane av huset har funne fram til kva tiltak som må gjerast for å hindre for raskt forfall. Huset er utprøvd i høve til omgjevnadane. Det er likevel nokon gongar slik at eit gamalt hus ikkje lengre er i god nok stand, eller funksjonelt i høve til krava til brukarane. Tekst : Roald Renmaelmo, tradisjonshandverker og universitetslektor i bygningsvern på NTNU Foto: Roald Renmaelmo og Siv Holmin N Tømmerhuset på Berglund slik det stod når vi tok over for demontering. Dei fleste vindauga var nyare som var sett inn i seinare tid. Huset har vore panelt ei tid frå 1950-talet og fram til 2008. Panelen innvendig og utvendig var fjerna før vi kom inn i biletet. Vårt utgangs-punkt vart å ikkje ta vare på panel og å satse på å tilbakeføre vindauga til omlag slik dei var då huset vart sett opp. Huset har stått utan kleding frå det vart bygd i 1894 og fram til det vart panelt på 1950-talet. I ytterhjørna er det tømra med kamnov som er kilt. Dette er ein delevegg som viser ei deleveggnov som er vanleg i samband med slik tømring. Denne også har ein kam og dei fleste av stokkane har fått slått inn ein kile som skal tette nova utvendig. Det er ganske vanleg på slik tømring i Målselv. Det ligg husmose i både mefar og nover. Husmosen er av varierande typar, men furumose ser ut til å vere det vanlegaste. Det er også grasmose og myrmose å sjå i medfara. Den mosen som heng fast i stokkane har fått vere med vidare og er brukt i huset når det er sett opp på ny stad.

Oral registration is losing its validation and crafts in India are demanding a contemporary, tangible outlook, that is; a traditional background and palpable dynamism. Thus, the conventional wisdom appears and get adapted through new media channels. The older semantics is knitted for sustainable messages to perceive differently. India’s perceptibility has more sweeping consolidation with folk craft and narrative amalgamation.  It makes India rich and diverse in perceptibly and tolerance for smaller enterprise and individual entities. The world has given centre stage to Indian sustainable ideas and patronised the narratives that it imbibes on. However, it loses comprehension in understanding the closest meaning in its value and perceptibility. Since the early 60s, when propagation of design systematically was planted to flourish, the domination of system over craft narratives could be observed. Design can homogenise a particular history; as it happens with most template mechanical processes. At the same time, the craft is ever-evolving. It endorses sustainability at the vernacular level, this conflict in systematically utilising techniques, facts, and ideas or artisans to the fullest, which is angst to stop this extinction nature industrialisation in India. Shifting Industrial Impact—The time between the occurrence of the Great Exhibition, London in 1851, and the Bauhaus Movement in 1919, gives us the necessary background to observe Industrial Revolution in Europe, and later when it comes to global anticipation. “India has played an important role in shaping the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Therefore, it is no surprise that the country’s national development goals are highlights of the SDGs. As such, India has been effectively committed to achieving the SDGs even before they will fully materialise its true worth.” (Voluntary National Review, 2017). The endorsement of seventeen goals in Voluntary National Review-2017 has also mentioned “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas”, the slogan given by the government. It aims at actions to eradicate poverty from India. It will redefine the values of organisation such as Khadi, and such state and central level self-help groups that promote craft narratives. In the age of retail boom, it appropriates agricultural policies. It invites Foreign Direct Investment, yet the challenge to encourage local craft stays in question. The paper is an attempt for analysis of several such policies that India has evolved as a developing country. Critical comparison with policies of developed nations is under anticipation. All of the above coincides with issues of political moves, change in governance, recession in global financial markets, and success stories of other alternative models.

This research is focused on aspects of the Process and Identification of Lkauer Crafts in Palembang, with the objectives being, 1) to support efforts to preserve the art of laker crafts in Palembang, 2) to find out the development of the design of the laker craft, 3) to find out the local cultural values contained in Palembang laker crafts, 4) to add insight and teaching materials to art and design lectures, especially DKV. The method used is descriptive qualitative method, with the method of collecting field observation data, which is to see firsthand the laker handicraft products in the craft center, and at the Bala Putra Dewa Museum in Palembang, the data collection method is also carried out by interviewing techniques and documenting the object research. The results of the data processing are the authors' analysis through the identification of problems encountered in the field. From these results the conclusions drawn by the author are summarized in the form of a draft strategy for the preservation of the laker craft. In addition to preservation efforts, the laker craft can also provide business opportunities and employment opportunities for the people of Palembang city, of course it cannot be separated from the assistance of the Regional Government in the form of training, workshops, capital assistance as well as providing a place for marketing. Abstrak Penelitian ini difokuskan pada aspek Proses dan Identifikasi Kerajinan lakaer di Palembang, dengan tujuan, 1) untuk mendukung upaya pelestarian seni kerajinan laker di Palembang, 2) untuk mengetahui perkembangan desain laker. kerajinan, 3) untuk mengetahui nilai-nilai budaya lokal yang terkandung dalam kerajinan laker Palembang, 4) untuk menambah wawasan dan bahan ajar untuk kuliah seni dan desain, khususnya DKV. Metode yang digunakan adalah metode deskriptif kualitatif, dengan metode pengumpulan data observasi lapangan, yaitu untuk melihat langsung produk kerajinan tangan di pusat kerajinan, dan di Museum Bala Putra Dewa di Palembang, metode pengumpulan data juga dilakukan oleh teknik wawancara dan mendokumentasikan objek penelitian. Hasil pengolahan data adalah analisis penulis melalui identifikasi masalah yang dihadapi di lapangan. Dari hasil ini, kesimpulan yang ditarik oleh penulis dirangkum dalam bentuk konsep strategi untuk pelestarian kerajinan laker. Selain upaya pelestarian, kerajinan laker juga dapat memberikan peluang bisnis dan peluang kerja bagi masyarakat kota Palembang, tentu saja tidak terlepas dari bantuan Pemerintah Daerah dalam bentuk pelatihan, workshop, bantuan modal serta menyediakan tempat untuk pemasaran.

In the last two decades, the fair trade movement has undergone significant institutional changes. From an informal network of activists and producers, it has evolved into a structured set of actors whose collective adherence to ‘‘fair’’ principles is guaranteed by external certification programs. Focusing on the craft sector, this paper explores the impacts of both the material practice of certification (evaluation and monitoring)
and the semiotic practice of certification (product labeling). Drawing on a collaborative research experience with a craftswomen’s cooperative in the Ecuadorian Andes, it argues that the material practice of certification impedes artisans’ attempts to join the formal Fair Trade network, while the semiotic practice of certification limits fair trade’s ability to ‘‘lift the veil’’ of the commodity fetish, which was one of the central goals of the original movement.

Written for the Haystack Mountain School of Craft monograph series, this strategic meander sorts through various examples that affirm and defy the categories we use to organize art, craft, and design. Underlying concerns include the scope of referential histories, and the ability to shift our thinking in subtle ways.

"Soil So Good: Neil Brownsword’s Reinventions": For the sake of alliteration as well as the productive confusion between an eighteenth-century metaphor and a contemporary euphemism, the neologism
‘brownfield’ is as good a contradiction as any to
contextualize the work of Neil Brownsword: he envisions
clay to be ripe for cultural creation, whether it’s a
derelict zone contaminated by factory use or a shovelfull
dug freshly from a local bed. The wasted rubble of
factories in Stoke-on-Trent and the accessible veins of
silken red marl holes constitute both his childhood and
adult turf - he has not moved away and is not a visitor
bombing in and out. His backyard is a brownfield and
both dear as well as foreboding - and an unusual
mixture of unrepeatable glorious history and unreliable
futures.

In the Middle Ages the brewer had developed into a craftman of distinction, performing his trade in the tradition of his forefathers. By trial and error he had eventually succeeded in mastering the vagaries of the brewing process. Of course a brew could easily go wrong but a good brewer who knew the tricks of his trade was usually able to save the situation. Brewing was not merely a question of good ingredients; correct timing and the right equipment were absolutely essential. The detailed inventories and the accounts for repairs and and other requirements within the brewery of Vredenburg Castle in the city of Utrecht in the 16th century virtually amount to a brewer's journal. The reader can almost taste the atmosphere of the brewery in these old records.

Business practices are often highlighted by development studies for their contribution to the resilience of the rural population. However, business contributing to rural development has to fulfill distinct characteristics and roles compared with urban counterparts. Commercial organizations that are solely targeting economic growth and lacking social aspects of development might not contribute to the overall sustainability of the region. This paper draws on three notions discussed in the literature-social innovations, sustainable rural development, and bridging organizations-to illustrate the relationship between business activities and rural capital. Two textile craft initiatives from rural India, Kala Raksha and Khamir, were investigated in order to trace the developmental roles and characteristics of business in rural. The research identifies a set of rural social innovations and elaborates on their five bridging roles contributing to the development of the region. Findings indicate that social innovations playing bridging roles have the potentials to contribute to the sustainability of rural enterprises and the development of the region.

In Clothing as Devotion in Contemporary Hinduism, Urmila Mohan explores the materiality and visuality of cloth and clothing as devotional media in contemporary Hinduism. Drawing upon ethnographic research into the global missionizing group “International Society for Krishna Consciousness” (ISKCON), she studies translocal spaces of worship, service, education, and daily life in the group’s headquarters in Mayapur and other parts of India. Focusing on the actions and values of deity dressmaking, devotee clothing and paraphernalia, Mohan shows how activities, such as embroidery and chanting, can be understood as techniques of spirituality, reverence, allegiance—and she proposes the new term “efficacious intimacy” to help understand these complex processes. The monograph brings theoretical advances in Anglo- European material culture and material religion studies into a conversation with South Asian anthropology, sociology, art history, and religion. Ultimately, it demonstrates how embodied interactions as well as representations shape ISKCON’s practitioners as devout subjects, while connecting them with the divine and the wider community.

The ‘Amphitrite’ Fan: A Masterpiece in the FIDM Museum Collection

Today's post is an in-depth look at a very special new acquisition, written by French scholar Georgina Letourmy-Bordier.

Most antique fans still in existence today have lost their history. Their origins, their context, and the various stages of their making escape us. There is one principle reason for this. Since their introduction into Europe in the 16th century, fans have generally been made anonymously – there are only rare exceptions to this.  There are no signatures on the leaves or on the montures.  It wasn’t until the second half of the 19th century that painters began to sign their work. When the sticks are signed, which is very rare, it is a sign that the work is of exceptional quality.

Translated from French by Mary Kitson, Secretary of the Fan Circle International

************************************************************************************

The ‘Amphitrite’ Fan: A Masterpiece in the FIDM Museum Collection

Most antique fans still in existence today have lost their history. Their origins, their context, and the various stages of their making escape us. There is one principle reason for this. Since their introduction into Europe in the 16th century, fans have generally been made anonymously – there are only rare exceptions to this.  There are no signatures on the leaves or on the montures.  It wasn’t until the second half of the 19th century that painters began to sign their work. When the sticks are signed, which is very rare, it is a sign that the work is of exceptional quality.

El artículo reflexiona sobre las etnografías orientadas a la comprensión de los oficios textiles y a la forma en que estas se ven afectadas por los haceres materiales de las prácticas que estudian. El texto da cuenta de las dimensiones íntimas, cotidianas y colectivas que enmarcan el quehacer textil y se concentra en tres prácticas constitutivas de estas labores: la costura como escritura, el deshilar y el destejer, y el remendar. Se señala que estas dimensiones y prácticas tienen el potencial de entretejer las etnografías permitiendo que éstas puedan imaginarse como prácticas terapéuticas de investigación y de acompañamiento, capaces de cuestionar las temporalidades y subjetividades de la investigación contemporánea.

Resumen: esta presentación reflexiona desde la teoría feminista en torno al patrimonio, desentrañando su contenido patriarcal con apariencia de “neutralidad”. También destaco la mutación que ha tenido lugar en las lógicas patrimoniales desde la reafirmación de las élites en base a la antigüedad, la nobleza o la creatividad hacia la patrimonialización, el desarrollo local, la mercantilización y la expansión en favor de una supuesta cohesión social de las tendencias más actuales. Con algunos datos del trabajo de campo realizado con las palilleiras de la Costa da Morte (Galicia) analizo las medidas cosméticas en el patrimonio que también precisan medidas redistributivas en el plano económico, del poder, del cuidado y del afecto. Mi propuesta pasa por des-patriarcalizar el patrimonio para proponer una aproximación más utópica

Afghan carpets with motifs of war, guns, tanks and planes, have become popular. Apart from Kabul, they are widely supplied by carpet sellers from Kashmir and Peshawar.  How do we interpret this popularity? What does it mean to the society that knots the instruments of their destruction into their art and what does it say about our consumption of these motifs?

Seymen, N., & Aydın Türk, Y. (2018). City and Craft: Trabzon. In H. Arapgirlioğlu, A. Atik, S. Hızıroğlu, R. L.Elliot, & D. Atik (Eds.), The Most Recent Studies in Science and Art (Vol. 2, pp. 1994-2008). Ankara: Gece Kitaplığı. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Parallel to the globalizing world, due to the acceleration of capital, commerce, population, consumption and increasing product diversity, identity changes and cultural losses are taking place in the cities. Such changes in the texture of the cities are mostly seen in the old city centers where craft spaces are concentrated. Therefore, the crafts and craft spaces, which have an important place in the identity and culture of the city, are gradually decreasing and disappearing. This is an important problem for sustainability of crafts in the future. For this reason, planning approaches should be adopted in order to protect and maintain the craft spaces, which are distinguishable identities and cultural elements of the city. The historical city center of Trabzon, which was selected as the study area, has important traces in the identity and culture of the city. The historical city center and its surrounding urban areas are known for their craft types. For example, Pazarkapı for carpentry, chest-making, ironworking; Kemeraltı for jewellery, copperworking, silversmithing, broommaking; Tabakhane for shoemaking and leatherworking. Today, these craft spaces have either changed places or have gone to a change of function or are completely lost. It is important to be able to maintain these characteristics of the historical city center of Trabzon and traces it has today. Therefore, it is necessary to protect the craft spaces and bring them back to the city. In the planning and conservation works in the city, crafts and craft spaces should be supported by special projects. Cultural spaces where research projects, exhibitions and activities for the crafts can be made should be created and they must be brought together with the city and urbanites. With public, private and NGO cooperation craft-oriented urban policies should be developed. Sectoral models for different craft types in the city should be produced and cooperation should be provided.

The World Beyond Your Head continues the project initiated by Matthew Crawford in his surprise best-seller of 2009, Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work (marketed as The Case for Working with Your Hands in the UK). In that earlier cultural polemic, the philosopher-mechanic turned public intellectual juxtaposed his own trajectory from think-tank academic to motorcycle mechanic with a general decline
in manual competence and tool use, not least measured by a widespread fall of workshop-based classes in the education systems of so-called post-industrial “knowledge economies.” [Continued]

This article is a study of the impact of liberalism and neoliberalism on educational policy in India. The focus is on two waves of colonial enterprise into India. The first phase occurred in the nineteenth century and was ideologically fueled by post-Enlightenment liberalism. At this time the British conspicuously and proactively colonized India and justified this colonial project on liberal, Eurocentric grounds. In this context, I examine the impact of liberalism and utilitarianism on education policy and argue that modern, secular education was uniquely an outcome of colonial ideology in India. In the second section of the article, following post-colonial and critical theorists of education, I argue that global neoliberalism is a continuation of colonialism, albeit in different form, and that this new form of global colonization is reversing educational commitment and policy in India from secular public education to privatized education and school choice in the service of global neoliberal interests.

This paper aims at evaluating the employee engagement in a corporate scenario. It also analyzes the employee
happiness quotient qualitatively. We look forward to researching and creating a consolidated data about the
emotive of employees in an organization along with the everyday office chores, and arriving towards strategic
suggestions, aiming to form a framework of guidelines which will add value to the organizational culture.
Employee engagement in any organization helps in creating the overall culture. Organizations need to be aware
of Employee Engagement factors which will in turn help them in employee retention, happiness and sense of
belonging.
The probable results from the research aimed at improvement of the current scenario as well as finding out the
challenges and the positive aspects which could be emulated for better environment in the corporate culture. The
biggest challenge with this research was that Cognizant being a big organization, the target group was placed in
different locations. Hence the methodologies and their combinations utilized were designed to suit this scenario.
A Combination of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies was used.
Qualitative methodology involved designing a questionnaire with open ended questions which led to image
analysis, five sensicular analysis, qualitative insights and close ended questions for the quantitative study. The
insights derived from preliminary research, gave pointers for the deeper dive. This further research consisted of a
target group evolved out of the preliminary study. This secondary research involved personal qualitative
interviews of a niche target group.
This niche target group research gave insights towards the pain points as well as the good practices inculcated
within the group. These good practices were highlighted and used as an example for other groups. The insights
derived from the research were then converted into practical strategic interventions with the help of
stakeholders which, when used, will predictively improve organizational culture. This paper seeks to document
these processes, insights and the strategic interventions derived through the research.

Книга знакомит с искусством казанской кожаной мозаики и традиционными орнаментами узорной кожи. Уникальный иллюстративный материал содержит большое количество старинных и современных изделий. Впервые описан полный технологический процесс работы. В конце книги приведены подробные аннотации на татарском, немецком и английском языках.

The Patterned Leather of Kazan
Making of inlaid leather footwear is one of the most ancient traditional
handicrafts of Kazan Tatars. Leather-dressing was highly developed in the
times of Volga Boulgaria already. This is proved by numerous archaeological
finds on the territories of ancient settlements: workshops of leather-dressers,
remains of uppers and instruments.
We don’t know yet when the technique of leather mosaics and the seam
later known as «Kazan», or «Tatar», or «Kazan stitched-in work» became
used while making traditional footwear. The oldest ones that are kept in
museums of Russia are dated end of 18th – beginning of 19th century.
The handicraft of traditional Kazan patterned boots developed in
numerous suburbs of Kazan and villages outside Kazan during 18th-19th
century. The footwear was made not only in Kazan, but also in other
settlements of Tatars: in the cities of Central Asia, West Siberia, in Kasimov
and Orenburg.

Die Kazaner Ornament-Leder
Ornamentierte Lederstiefel waren bei den Wolga-Tataren im Laufe von
vielen Jahrhunderten die populärste Art des traditionellen Handwerks. Schon
die Vorahnen der Tataren – die Wolga-Bulgaren – beschäftigten sich mit der
Herstellung der farbigen Saffianleder und der weichen Juphtleder, die in
vielen Ländern als Bulgary bekannt war. Die archeologischen Funde bestätigen
die Angaben der mittelalterlichen arabischen Historiker über die hohe
Entwicklung der Lederherstellung in der Hauptstadt der Wolga-Bulgaren.
Im Mittelalter trugen die reichen russischen Bojaren die geschmückten
tatarischen Stiefel sehr gern. Die Russen nannten sie Itschigi.
Seit dem 18. Jahrhundert wurde in Kazan, der Hauptstadt des
Gouvernements im Osten Russlands, das Nähen solcher Schuhen zur
industriellen Herstellung. Im 19. – Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts importierten
die Kazaner Kaufmänner Hundert Tausende “asiatische Schuhe” nach Europa
und den islamischen Osten.
Einen besonderen Platz im Buch nimmt die unikale Kollektion der
Tatarischen Stiefel Itschigi, die im Deutschen Ledermuseum in Offenbach
am Main aufbewahrt wird, ein.
Im Buch wird über die traditionellen Ornamente der Ledermosaik,
Handnähte und die für die Erfüllung der Naht notwendigen Instrumente und
Stoffe erzählt. Zuerst in der vorhandenen Literatur wird vom Autor die Kasaner
Handnaht beschrieben. Das Buch enthält auch die Empfehlungen zur
praktischen Arbeit.
The Patterned Leather of Kazan
Making of inlaid leather footwear is one of the most ancient traditional
handicrafts of Kazan Tatars. Leather-dressing was highly developed in the
times of Volga Boulgaria already. This is proved by numerous archaeological
finds on the territories of ancient settlements: workshops of leather-dressers,
remains of uppers and instruments.
We don’t know yet when the technique of leather mosaics and the seam
later known as «Kazan», or «Tatar», or «Kazan stitched-in work» became
used while making traditional footwear. The oldest ones that are kept in
museums of Russia are dated end of 18th – beginning of 19th century.
The handicraft of traditional Kazan patterned boots developed in
numerous suburbs of Kazan and villages outside Kazan during 18th-19th
century. The footwear was made not only in Kazan, but also in other
settlements of Tatars: in the cities of Central Asia, West Siberia, in Kasimov
and Orenburg.
While making leather mosaics, pieces of coloured leather are being bound
together by hand using original method that allows to sew the pieces and
make the embroidery over the seam simultaneously. This operation is made
with two threads – the sewing one and the embroidering one –
simultaneously. The embroidery was made with silken, linen, woolen and
even golden thread, winded round the needle in each stitch, so that on the
right side of the boot it produces a colourful decorative contour. The ornament
used for decoration of ichigi changed as time passed, and we can mark out
several groups of them. The most ancient ones are horn-like ornaments,
typical for the art of Turkic peoples. Under the influence of city fashion
style of 19th century the silhouette of the boots changed and new figures
were added to the ancient ornaments. The soft ichigi, that were worn with
galoshes made of thick leather, turned into the boots on heels – the attribute
of fashionable city girls. At the sides of the top of boots there appeared
«hard-contoured» hearts and rosettes. By the beginning of the 20th century
the composition with a stylized image of flowers in a vase («bouquet»)
appeared on the side parts of the top of boots.
The second half of 19th – begining of 20 th century was the period of
flourishing of production of patterned footwear that gained honourable
references and medals at the Exhibitions in Copenhagen and Paris. In Kazan,
up to millions of pairs of footwear was produced per year.

Three groups of Seljuk geometric patterns from 13th century architectural monuments in Amasya and Kayseri are analyzed in terms of the variations of application of formal designs to actual material rather than as pure geometry on paper as often investigated. Shape rules are defined for the dominant formal features in each pattern group to show that even when designs are similar different making processes introduce variations to their physical application. The motivation behind the study is an interest to enhance the computational design processes limited to automating form generation by the addition of making rules employed in the application of shape rules to materials and surface geometries of a building. Making rules can be an improved version of shape rules that incorporate material information and constraints. Our low technology and experimental methodology aims to handle the direct link between form and its variations based on material properties and application techniques. We propose representations in the form of shape rules for the application of selected geometric patterns on the material towards computational and productive utility. Different than purely geometric rules, these illustrate the variation that is the result of an idealized integrated visual and material process for the craftsman applying the designs on material.

The presentation is about the process of Mapping of Crafts along with the Craftspeople and Craft Enterprise. This Is an approach towards identifying, understanding and developing a detailed inventory of the crafts, craftspeople as well as practices associated with different types of Crafts.

Community Crafts and Culture (CCC) is a collaborative research project working in Costa Rica that, recognising the essential nature of intergenerational transmission of collective knowledge, sets out to create an online community map of local artisan workshops and to document significant sites in the landscape. A website is being created in collaboration with the local community as part of a local development strategic plan to increase sustainable tourism, using the physical eco/community museum as the administrative hub. Working with existing groups, and respected women leaders, the programme also empowers yung people by engaging then with their indigenous heritage. Given the opportunity to assume leadership roles and gain skills, young people's practical experience can contribute towards a more equal and fair community that respects their ancestors' landscape and safeguards their distinctive ecology for future generations.

Museums have long been understood as repositories of collections of objects and other tangible cultural heritage, which they aim to preserve, study, and share with the public. However, an emerging and often overlooked role of museums is their support of intangible cultural heritage, such as local craft communities and traditions. Drawn primarily from my work with artisans and museums in Japan (which has long been a global leader in the field of cultural heritage preservation and promotion), in this article I present two examples of how museum practitioners can contribute to the sustainability of craft traditions. Many craft communities (and the traditions and knowledge they embody) around the world are currently struggling to maintain viability in a globalized marketplace due to increased competition from mass-produced goods, changing consumer tastes, aging practitioners, and difficulty in obtaining traditional materials among other factors (Taylor 1994; Shah and Patel 2017; Pontsioen 2019). A focused effort to support craft practice can therefore provide renewed relevancy for museums in the 21st century among both artisan communities and the public.

In India, the crafts and the design sectors share a symbiotic
relationship. Design education in India, influenced by the Ulm and
Bauhaus schools, creates designers who are trying to bridge the gap
between the past and present, in an effort to create a design language
that leads to renewal of the craft traditions and ensure the
sustainability of our living crafts legacy. Government and Design
institutions also create and undertake independent projects for the
upliftment of the crafts. However, there are many drawbacks to such
schemes. It is well known that these schemes focus only on the creation
of newer products and artifacts only, without considering the context of
any craft itself. In this paper, a framework has been proposed for an
alternate design led intervention in the crafts sector. The components
include: Creation of a Design Cell, Guidelines preparation, Research,
Seminar, Creation of craft specific Action Plan, Design Development
Workshop, Exhibition and Documentary.
This framework hopes to celebrate the sanctified relation
between the crafts and its craftspersons, in the creation of marketfriendly products, facilitated by the designer, while bridging the gap between the old and the new.