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How 11 Ancient Crafts Survived For Centuries | Still Standing | Insider Business

Business Insider・46 minutes read

Artisans around the world uphold ancient traditions like camel skin lamp crafting in Pakistan, Shea butter-making in Ghana, and Dokra art in India, facing challenges like deforestation and declining demand. Despite obstacles, these artisans continue to preserve and pass down their traditional crafts, ensuring their unique cultural heritage endures for future generations.

Insights

  • The process of crafting camel skin lamps in Multan, Pakistan, involves meticulous manual work using a knife called rambi, with Muhammad shaping the lamps by layering thin camel skin over clay molds and employing the traditional technique of nakashi for over 900 years.
  • The decline of traditional crafts like Dokra art in India due to factors such as demonetization impacting sales, with artisans like Rajendra relying on government-funded showrooms to sell their creations and facing challenges in sustaining their craft amidst changing economic landscapes.

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Recent questions

  • What traditional craft involves camel skin lamps?

    Camel skin lamp crafting involves intricate techniques.

  • How is Shea butter made in Ghana?

    Shea butter-making in Ghana involves a meticulous process.

  • What traditional art form involves mother of pearl?

    Mother of pearl is used for intricate ornaments.

  • What is the significance of Nandi in Hindu culture?

    Nandi is a sacred bowl symbolizing peace and prosperity.

  • How is Dokra art connected to India's history?

    Dokra art is named after a nomadic tribe popularizing the craft.

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Summary

00:00

Global Traditions: Crafting Artisanal Products Worldwide

  • Businesses around the globe maintain centuries-old traditions, from mole ground in Mexico to metal art in India and Shea butter in Ghana.
  • In Multan, Pakistan, camel skin lamps are crafted, a tradition dating back to the early 20th century.
  • Cleaning and preparing camel hides for lamps is a meticulous process, involving manual work with a knife called rambi.
  • Muhammad shapes the lamps by layering thin camel skin over clay molds, using excess skin for holes and a mixture of glue and washing soda to seal them.
  • The technique of nakashi, painting designs on lamps, is over 900 years old and has been passed down through generations.
  • In Ghana, women artisans turn Shea nuts into butter, a process requiring at least three women to mix one pot.
  • The Shea butter-making process involves washing, drying, cracking, roasting, grinding, and mixing the nuts to achieve the desired consistency.
  • Traditional Shea butter-making techniques involve grinding by hand and producing small batches to ensure quality consistency.
  • Global demand for Shea butter has increased, but challenges like deforestation and competition from larger companies threaten small-scale farmers.
  • In Thailand, mother of pearl is used for intricate ornaments, with craftsmen like Jukit preserving this traditional art through meticulous carving and lacquering techniques.

27:27

Rajendra: Dokra Artisan and Sacred Sculptor

  • Foreign sculptures depict animals and deities from tribal folklore.
  • Nandi is a sacred bowl in Hindu culture and one of Rajendra's most popular designs believed to bring peace and prosperity.
  • Rajendra has made hundreds of sculptures using the Hollow casting method.
  • Rajendra creates two holes at the base of the model for the wax to melt and make way for molten metal.
  • He starts a fire in a brick furnace using wood from a nearby forest, maintaining the temperature at around 1300 degrees.
  • The model sits in the fire for two hours until all the wax melts away.
  • Dokra art gets its name from the Dokra Demar, a nomadic tribe that popularized the craft.
  • In 2016, India demonetized much of its currency, causing a decline in Dokra art sales.
  • Rajendra, a Dokra artisan, sells mainly in government-funded showrooms, making around 40,000 rupees or 500 US dollars a month.
  • In Cambodia, silk weaving almost disappeared 50 years ago but was revived by PH, who teaches people how to raise silkworms and weave silk using the Ikat technique.

56:11

"Hand-Crafted Mole Tradition Defies Modernization"

  • The matate in Evangelina's family has been used for 46 years, carved whole from a quarry, weighing over 50 kilos.
  • Commercial chefs use blenders for efficiency, but hand crushing ingredients for mole paste brings out intense flavors, taking up to two hours.
  • Matate has been used by indigenous groups in Mesoamerica since pre-Hispanic times, with mole believed to originate in Oaxaca or Puebla.
  • Traditional mole-making has declined with pre-made paste and blenders, but Evangelina insists hand-made mole is superior.
  • Lard is a key ingredient in mole, melted and mixed with a ground paste, beef broth, and corn dough for thickness.
  • Funeral mole like Colorado has a subdued taste, different from celebratory moles, reflecting Evangelina's family tradition.
  • Evangelina learned mole-making from her grandmother, later starting a brand, Nanavita, exporting mole and chocolate to the U.S.
  • Farook Abdul Majeed hand-carves tanpuras from dried pumpkin shells in Mirage, India, a craft passed down for seven generations.
  • Crafting a tanpura takes three weeks, with specific steps like soaking the shell, carving the wood, and assembling the instrument.
  • Farook's family's reputation for high-quality tanpuras has helped them sustain their craft despite the rise of electronic versions.

01:25:12

Traditional Jute Weaving Techniques and Artisans

  • Jute fibers are prepared by rolling them on a tire to maintain uniform thickness, a technique called Pine.
  • Weaving mats is a traditional task for Rajbanshi women, who now balance it with farming and household chores.
  • Jute threads are bleached and dyed monthly, with the best dye sourced from a native fruit, but often bought from a market in Kolkata.
  • Demand for jute weaving dates back to 3000 BC in India, but the handloom industry has declined, leading to a loss of artisans.
  • Sanjita weaves mats using a traditional loom inherited from her mother-in-law, selling them for 400 rupees each.
  • Yasuhiro, a blacksmith in Japan, uses ancient techniques to forge Bonsai scissors, with professional gardeners willing to wait a year for a pair.
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