Traditional Crafts. What About?

The (re)connection of contemporary society with traditional knowledge and its expression, traditional crafts, is a contradictory endeavor in itself. On one hand, traditional crafts are socially perceived as a burden, as a useless part of social life, and in the best case, as an exotic remanence of the past, good only for the hobbyists. On the other hand, as UNESCO and WIPO stated, traditional knowledge, and, by extension, traditional crafts are (or should be) an essential part of humankind’s history, part of the present, and the potential keepers of answers for future challenges. The presented paper aims to point out, mainly for general public use, the characteristics of traditional crafts and their richness. Traditional crafts might possess valuable answers for the present and future, related to sustainable use of natural resources; techniques and technologies for restoration and preservation of cultural heritage; holistic approaches in education; social and economic cohesion, especially for challenged communities. One of the main challenges in the active preservation of traditional crafts is that their protection and further acceptance at a social scale are connected with communities and not with individuals. In this respect, societies must find those instruments to address the communities of knowledge bearers and not companies or individuals. This understanding of the exceptional significance of communities in the present and future of traditional crafts is part of the solution for a desired sustainable life on this planet. Modern technologies will not offer all the answers to a dramatically fast-changing environment.