A craft or hobby is a specific activity or profession that involves certain technical skills and knowledge of how skilled work is done. In a broader historical sense, especially the Middle Ages and before, the word is often applied to those engaged in small-scale manufacturing of goods, such as by jewelers or plumbers, or the maintenance, such as by fishermen. A hobby or craft could also be a term used to describe the artistic or creative expression of a craftsman. In modern times, crafts often cross conventional boundaries of class and culture, becoming a valid and rewarding career opportunity for many.
Art crafts include craftsman arts like glass-blowing, woodcarving, metal-working, knitting, embroidery, pottery, and the like. These crafts have gained increasing popularity as professions over the past few years, and as an emerging market in today’s marketplace. There is now a significant number of individuals who take pride in making crafts and are highly proficient in their respective trades. For example, some make elegant handcrafted crystal bowls, vases, and figurines. Others create handcrafted furniture for their homes and offices.
Craftsmen enjoyed a high degree of social status and enjoyed a level of economic success relative to other craftsmen throughout history. This was also the period when craft industries made important headway in industrial expansion and in political stability. The crafts movement grew in popularity throughout Europe during the Middle Ages. Craftsmen were prized for their innovative abilities and were highly respected because of their fine craftsmanship. They were also permitted to develop their skills as part of their employment, meaning that employers often offered stipends or gifts for any extra work that was completed. These practices changed during the Renaissance, when craftsmen were more likely to be involved in political agitation, and were generally banned from lending their crafts to the public.
Throughout this Dark Age craftsmen were forced into a position of servitude, and this allowed them to hone their skills and contribute to the culture of their time. During this time period, the craft of glass art was especially notable. Glass art would eventually become a major industry and would influence all of Europe’s cultural growth and developments for the next four centuries. The development of new glass cutting methods and the addition of new glass art traditions helped to define and solidify the definition of crafts.
As mass production became prevalent throughout Europe craftsmen were able to take advantage of the availability of tools and machinery that dramatically improved their ability to produce quality goods. This allowed craftsmen to enter into a much more active role as employers and to demand better pay and greater benefits than they had been able to achieve before. With increased job opportunities craft guilds began to emerge throughout the region, with each requiring its own set of regulations and rules. This gave craftsmen a much better place to belong and allowed them to participate more actively in the economy of their times.
Craftsmen would also have access to a wealth of new materials that allowed them to develop their craft even further. For example, wood was an extremely valuable resource during the Middle Ages, and any craftsman would be guaranteed to have a steady supply of it. It was also easier to apply dye to woods, allowing for a vastly improved coloring process. One new craft skill that came about was the use of metal wire as a means of creating jewelry. Metal wire could be bent into intricate shapes and was often bent into decorative shapes by heating it up in an oven.
The arts never completely disappeared, however, as new technological advances allowed for mass production techniques to be adopted. Many craftsmen still worked in the traditional artisan spirit and continued to turn out their wares in a handcrafted manner. However, many craftsmen of the modern era worked primarily in a highly structured environment that required specific tools and production techniques. The arts were no longer as available as raw materials and manpower, and the crafts movement died quite literally.
The mass production techniques that began to shape the decorative arts came about because of the availability of steel, which was cheaper than most other metals at the time. This made possible the mass production of pots and pans and candle holders, which became a main article in most kitchens throughout the Western world. The main article of the arts was furniture. In fact, furniture was the most dominant decorative art form in most of the developed world. This is because furniture allows for the creation of practically any interior space, and this includes hallways, bedrooms, living rooms, and bathrooms.
