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Have you ever seen Polish paper-cutting or embroidery? These handicrafts are among the main folk crafts of Poland. The patterns are traditionally Slavic and very pretty; the most popular are floral patterns. Polish artisans organized the exhibition of their handcrafts in China. They compared their traditional embroidery and paper-cutting designs with the Chinese ones. Surprisingly, there are many similar features.
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- Category: Poland
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The traditional straw hats of Ecuador called “toquilla” are produced for centuries by the hands of local people. This craft has become a really important part of Ecuadorian culture and economy. Historically, the weaving of the toquilla straw hats helped to make a complex network of social relations that joined the Southern Highlands with the Coast of Ecuador. This straw hat is an identifying element of Ecuador. In the case of Azuay and Cañar Provinces, it is a part of the typical outfit of the “Chola Cuencana”.
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- Category: Ecuador
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I’ll never tire to say that the Chinese culture can be unique and even strange for a European, American, or African mind. But the combination of Chinese and Tibetan cultures is doubly remarkable. See for yourself. This article is dedicated to a really extraordinary craft – hair embroidery. The craftswoman uses her hair as threads. Though, it’s not a joke or some eccentric modern art – it’s an ancient craft that is based on a deep meaning and symbolism, on mantras, and spirituality.
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- Category: China
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Undress costume. What a provocative name for a women’s outfit! Especially, considering that it is originated from the 18th century. In this case, “undress” is a word used to describe casual garments. It's expected that costumes of that period are elaborate but seeing all the layers and how much work went to garments that were considered casual really puts into perspective how much fashion has changed.
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- Category: Europe
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Indonesians widely use a batik cloth made by a special technique of wax-resist dyeing. During the dye process, the waxed areas resist the dye, and when the wax is removed, a pattern emerges. The process is time-consuming and requires some skill and imagination. But a lot of Indonesian and, in particular, Javanese artisans are engaged in this craft. We’d like to offer you some pretty much detailed info about how to make batik and what peculiarities there are in this process.
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- Category: Indonesia
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If you want to find out how the craft of weaving looked like in ancient Mexico, you should visit Teotitlán del Valle, a small Mexican village near the Oaxaca. People here continue the work of their ancestors – they practice the Zapotec weaving, using only traditional techniques, tools, dyes, and patterns. You can observe the whole process of making Zapotec woven folk clothing and traditional rugs in this community. We hope that the article below will stir your interest toward this ancient culture.
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- Category: Mexico
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Most people know a lot (or at the very least something) about the traditional clothing and outfits from a certain century made for adults. Like Tudor era attire, Elizabethan gown, Baroque style costume, Medieval dress, etc. But how much do you know about the vintage kids’ clothes? And it is even more exciting to find out what the royal children wore. Let’s do just that – let’s look at the tiny outfits used by Queen Victoria's children in the 19th century.
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- Category: England
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Chinese traditional opera is very unique. And one of the most important crafts in this area is the headdress making. The headgear used by Chinese actors is gorgeous – massive pieces are richly decorated and eye-catching but extremely lightweight at the same time. It requires a great skill to produce a good kuitou – traditional headdress used in Chinese opera. The craftsmen invent the design, produce every piece by hand, and alter it at the request of the actor who uses the kuitou.
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- Category: China
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In Rwanda, people are trying to restore the tradition of wearing the national garment of the country – an elegant female mushanana. This attire is a little bit similar to a very simply draped Indian sari. But it is historically used in Africa and is a large part of Rwandan culture. Today, the mushanana is gaining more and more popularity among young women of Rwanda. We’ll introduce this garment to you and share some secrets of wearing the mushanana correctly.
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- Category: Rwanda
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If you still believe that the Hawaiian folk costume consists only of coconut cups and banana leaves, this article may surprise you. Locals did produce handmade fabric. And, be the way, the process was complicated and very long. The traditional Hawaiian fabric is made from a special tree bark. To think that you can make fabric out of the bark of a tree is amazing. That was the fabric of the Hawaiians – that was their kapa cloth.
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- Category: United States
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Algerian bridal outfit is magnificent. If you’ve never visited Arab countries, there is a great possibility that you haven’t ever seen anyone dressed and jeweled as richly and opulently as these brides. Dozens of rows of pearls, massive gold jewelry, gems, embroidery with gold and silver threads – everything is glowing and sparkling. Every bride looks like a royal queen on her wedding day. It is a tradition, so those who are poorer and can’t afford so many jewels, borrow or rent them. But let’s find out what other wedding traditions do they have in Algeria.
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- Category: Algeria
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We are sure, some of you heard about the Ötzi – the mummy of a man who lived between 3400 and 3100 B.C. He was found in September 1991 in the Ötztal Alps. Thanks to that mummy, scientist learned a lot about the life of prehistoric people. We’d like to show you how to make an Otzi the Iceman style backpack by your own hands. It could be a lot of fun.
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- Category: Europe
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Zmijanje embroidery is one of the embroidery techniques of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is rather unique, complicated to perform, and beautiful. But the question is, will it survive in the modern world? Is Bosnian youth willing to keep the tradition and learn to embroider when they have so many activities and entertainments to keep them busy? What can ordinary craftswomen do to popularize and develop Zmijanje embroidery technique? Let’s find out the answers.
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- Category: Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Hits: 9797
The most special clothing. Maybe you’ll only wear it once in your life. The most important dress in a woman’s life – a wedding gown. China has some strong tradition regarding the folk wedding dress. For instance, the color of the main garment should be red and the embroidery is made in gold threads. Every Chinese wedding outfit is perfect in its authenticity and peculiar Oriental beauty.
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- Category: China
- Hits: 3662
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