Krista QQ(www.123giftfactory.com) said:


Qiang’s ethnic folk art are rooted in China’s ancient history and folk culture, applied with colorful silk threads and cotton color threads, Qiang nation’s peoples created various embroidery patterns and images such as flowers and fruits, fowls and beasts, pines, bamboos, plums, chrysanthemums, a mass of blossom, Harmony in Water and Fish and so on. In those simple artistic forms, rich connotations are contained and displayed out.



Women in Qiang nation are all good at embroidery work, which is one of essential skills that Qiang nation women experienced, and it’s also a main rule to measure whether a Qiang nation girl is intelligent, dexterous and diligent or not. Women in Qiang are often be taught by their elderships to practice embroidery skill hardly when they are still a little girl. When they are in their 6 or 7-year old, the mother will began to teach her daughter to learn the embroidery skill, so when the daughter grew in her marriage age, she usually has become a skilled embroidery master, and when a man in Qiang nation going to pursue for a wife, the basic requirement is the girl should having grasped the embroidery skill well, if the girl are not skilled with embroidery work, the man would not like her. As a result, no woman in Qiang nation could not do embroidery job.



Women in Qiang nation commonly according to the intention person to choose the embroidery image pattern, for example, image patterns of “Fu”, “Lu”, “Shou” and so on are mostly designed for the elderly, and hereby to wish good health and longevity of the elderly; For children, images to against evil spirits would be picked mostly, and thus to bless healthy growth of children, and flower patterns would be choose also to imply children’s good health and favorable growth.



Young girl usually embroidered cigarettes bag for her lover, there are two pattern designs are most familiar, one is “The Mandarin duck plays with Water”, the other is “The Swallows flying wing to wing from winter to spring”. Both the two embroidery patterns are implies to love each other forever and stay together forever, and that is so-called “loves are contained in the sachet”.



Served as a part of Qiang’s ethnic culture, Qiang’s ethnic embroidery bearing Qiang nation’s people’s love to the nature, their yearns for a better life, which are all displayed on their embroidered apparels, to show their rich regional culture and folk customs from one glance side. It can be said that the Qiang’s folk embroidery and paper-cut art are visual carriers of Qiang’s ethnic culture, they are direct and aesthetic symbolic expressions of this age-old ethnic groups’ customs and lifestyles.



Qiang nation’s “Yunyun shoes” is the most characteristic embroidered shoes, which are made with fabric and in a boat shape, with a little raised shoe toes and thicker soles, clouds images embroidered on the shoe uppers, it’s durable and wearable, is a typical lyric-by embroidery.

Not only with spirit appeal, but also actual practicality, this kind of art form congealed Qiang nation people’s simple desires of blessing an auspicious future and a better life, and its culture characters extended whereby. This character is not only belongs to the Qiang nation, but also belongs to all

Krista QQ(www.123giftfactory.com) said:


Embroidery is one of traditional Chinese folk industrial arts styles, is an integral part in China’s folk culture. Qiang’s folk embroidery art is the image carrier of Qiang nation’s culture, it is a direct and aesthetic symbolic performance of customs and lifeways of the minority nation with a long history.



Qiang people’s folk embroidery art has passed down from generation to generation for its own traditional folk style, rich exotic moods and sophisticated artistry, which combines the practicality and beauty in one, is one of people’s favorite articles used for decorating and beautifying the life.

When the new China founded, the Qiang people’s folk art developed further, become more attractive and dazzling. In July 1959, embroidered waist belt created by Mrs. Wang Yuhua named “Happiness Ocean” from Wenchuan County in Sichuan province was sent to Chengtu city to attend the State Industrial Art Exhibition and won the first prize.



Containing simple and rich ancient rustic flavors and superb artistry, in 1978 Qiang people’s folk costumes won lot of national academic reputations at home and abroad. At the end of same year, Japan’s National Museum of Ethnology purchased the Qiang nation’s folk apparel for collection.

In 1980, carpets produced by factories in Aba county were exported to the United States, Canada, India, Nepal, the Philippines and other countries, thus Qiang nation people’s folk art won wide reputations and praises.



To the Ming and Qing Dynasties, embroidery has become very popular in the region of Qiang minority. Qiang nation’s embroidery art has 16 kinds of embroidering stitches, there are pick embroidery, ‘Nahua’ embroidery, fine flower embroidery, chain clasp embroidery, emboss finish embroidery, jacquard embroidery, applique embroidery, crocheting embroidery and hand embroidery mainly.

Among them, the pick embroidery is the most favorite technique practices used by Qiang nation’s women. The pick embroidery’s images drawn from the reality life in nature, such as flowers, birds, fishes, animals, and so on, which are familiar in people’s daily life. These natural beings full with rich biological spirits, through skillful pick embroidery processing, have been created into various colorful patterns and images, they mostly symbolizes people’s blessings of auspicious fortunes, fine aspirations for bright future, such as “Bouquets of Flowers and Piles of Brocades “, “Harmony in Water and Fish”, ” Phoenix Flying in Peony.”



Pick embroidery also called “cross embroidery”, is a sort of embroidery technique which strictly in accordance with the fabric’s latitude and longitude lines, through a set of tight embroidery stitches and bring out cross patterns in equidistance and same length, thus embroider out a variety of patterns of visual forms, which have regular, symmetrical, distinctive features. Through this method, images of all natural beings are formed of cross right angles and cross straight lines, and formed unique styles of geometric deformation, it’s fancy and interesting.

Qiang minority nation’s women mostly using cotton threads in their embroidering work, sometimes silk color threads applied too, the colors in which mainly are black and white in vivid contrast. Colors in embroidered image are commonly bright and varied to create clear, simple and generous visual effects.



Qiang nation’s embroidery patterns are clean, exquisite, and contained rich implications. For example, the colors in flower design embroidery and fine flower embroidery are distinctive in great contrast, while flying belts’ patterns have very strong decorative impressions, coupled with the embroidery techniques of chain clasp and so on, the Qiang people’s wild, uninhibited but delicate characters were open out fully with rich connotations.

Emantras said:


Indian tribal art is a part and parcel of this multivariate heritage and throws up beautiful insights into human nature and lifestyle amongst Indian tribes of those ages.

 The art forms included paintings which are an integral part of the tribal tradition and often mirrored the lifestyle and traditions of the era. They were replete with the fairs, festivals, gods& goddesses, the bonding and social dynamics that was prevalent in those times.

 They often carried a streak of simplicity and ingenuity and animated the immortal charm of life. The tribal art forms itself had different genres and divisions originating from different parts of India, mostly from the states of Orissa, Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Bihar/Jharkand etc. The notable art forms being Tanjore, Madhubani, Patachitra and Rajasthan Miniature ones.

 Moreover, the regional dances of India, such as the Bhangra dance of Punjab, the Dandiya of Gujarat, the Bihu dance of Assam, etc, which project the cultural heritage of those regions, are prominent contenders in the field of Indian folk art. These folk dances are performed by people to express their celebration at every possible event or occasion, such as the arrival of seasons, the birth of a child, weddings, festivals, etc.

 Centuries have passed and the Indian folk & tribal art form has retained its ‘romance and enigmatic charm’ but has become a tiny niche and appeals to a very narrow segment of audience. The abundance of riches in folk and tribal art has received universal appreciation, following and is a fact well known. It will also not be far from the truth that it has so much variety that it can appeal to a wider platform of individuals and people across ethnicities. The Indian government has also been taking steps to conserve and promote it.

 They key here is of course to get a wider Diaspora interested in it directly or indirectly. Indian art as mentioned before is a razzmatazz of various different elements -art music dance forms. Each of these has a story, an insight behind that can be used to create engaging entertaining forms.

 Children and teens also form a segment that has never been exposed to much of ancient art forms these days. The Gen Y has been hooked to the world of gaming, animation and movies with pyrotechnics and the Indian folk art has enough pizazz if delivered in more interesting and fascinating mediums

One such example would be ‘Music Binds All‘- a 45 second animated short movie made by an innovative ‘out of the box’ digital media company called Mlab ,which is building a community (vibrantribes.com) to promote folk & tribal art in contemporary formats.

 This endeavor is to ‘resurrect’ folk art and take it to another level where it is more interactive, and where it can appeal to more people. 

Will said:


Originally Khokhloma wood tableware were produced in monasteries and for the czar court only. At that time Khokhloma tableware production was not large scale. It was because of expensive imported tin. In 1720s after the end of the North War tin flow to Russian increased. The price went down and the material came within reach of many masters. The production and the sales of brightly painted hand made art works expanded.

Thus in the XIX century items with khokhloma painting were famous not only in Russia but in Persia, India, Middle East, the USA and Australia as well. The export of khokhloma items grew after the worldwide exhibition in 1889 in Paris.

In 1916 Nizhegorodskoye Zemstvo established the first School for Wood-Working Arts and Crafts in Semyonov. The folk arts and folklore flourished in Volga region near Nizhny Novgorod province. No other territory in Russia could equal it in the number and originality of the folk arts and crafts that had sprang to life and were developed in the local communities. The Khokhloma art painting on wooden tableware is the type of Nizhny Novgorod folk art craft that became most popular in Russia and foreign countries.

The “grass-leaves” decorative ornaments and their peculiar color scheme suggest that the Khokhloma art is rooted in the ancient Russian decorative culture while the imitation of gilt ornaments on wood dates back to the medieval Russian handicraft skills. The painting technique has been somewhat upgraded but remains essentially the same as in the ancient time.

Khokhloma russian painting amazes you with its delicate grass pattern and festive coloring, which is based on combination of scarlet cinnabar and flittering gold against the black lacquer background. This is Khokhloma specific feature. Masters used tin powder and lacquer to obtain such gold color. Now they use aluminum powder.

First, the art tableware are shaped on a lathe from the dried lime wood, which are turned into bowls, vases, mugs, dishes and spoons.

They are dried and covered with red and brown primer, so that they start looking like earthen. The unpainted articles are now coated with drying oil. Next they are polished with powdered aluminium. They become dull shining, like silver, and go to the painting division. Painted articles are then varnished and hardened in ovens at the temperature of 120-130 degrees. The heat turns the varnish yellow, the “silver” into “gold” and mellows the vivid design with an even, golden tone.

The Khokhloma dishes, cups and wooden drink pots were used for serving food at holiday feasts. The wooden tableware using at the Moscow house of an important statesman had to look valuable; accordingly, they were modeled on the rich painted plates decorated with real golden fabricated by the jewelers for the luxurious homes of the Russian nobility. Thanks to the special varnish and high-temperature processing they are quite practical and safe in use. You can drink and eat using these Khokhloma tableware, because such wares not sensitive to cold and hot, salty and sour food.

Apart from Khokhloma wood presents of tableware most visitors to Russia will have at least one set of Matrioshka dolls in their luggage. These dolls within dolls have long been a source of fascination. The undoing of the main doll to reveal others almost ad-in-finitem has always produced wonderment and appreciation for the woodcrafts art.

Examples of beautiful Khokhloma wood art presents, Paleh and Mstera lacquered miniatures you can look at art store online site. It is amazing that what started out as a true folk tradition over 300 years ago is still thriving and remains basically true to it’s roots, albeit on a more organized scale.

Krista QQ(www.123giftfactory.com) said:


Paper-cutting and embroidery are both folk industrial art forms of China, they both are indivisible parts of Chinese folk culture. As a wonderful art miracle of Qiang nation culture, Qiang embroidery, in terms of design, color, form or stitch styles, are all imbued with rich deposits of the ancient Qiang nation’s millennium culture and Qiang people’s ideas for life.

The author believes that the merits and meanings to dig out the Qiang nation’s folk embroidery and paper cutting art are not only exists in art scope, for us it’s undoubtedly valuable and significant to learn more about the history of this nation and be aware of the relationships between the Qiang folk art and that of other nations.



Qiang nation, also be called “the nation stay in clouds “, mainly live together in the Mao county of Aba prefecture, Wenchuan county and Li county, as well as the Beichuan autonomous county of Qiang nation in Mianyang city in Sichuan province China. “Qiang Embroidery” is a subsistent heritage of Qiang nation culture that most lively so far and closest to Qiang nation people’s life, it also is the best art communication bridge to the real-world, its forms, color matching and stitching styles are featured with significant ethnic characteristics.



Qiang nation people’s costume are gorgeous as well as simple, and whether men or women in Qiang nation are all prefer to wearing headscarves, they are accustomed to wear long linen gowns that woven by themselves, wear long cloth gowns, coats, sheepskin vests too, and “Yunyun shoes” (a sort of Qiang nation’s embroidered cloth shoes) on feet. A variety of geometric patterns of embroidery are familiar on Qiang women’s clothes and they usually wearing silver jewelry such as earrings, silver plates and so on, and wearing embroidered shoes with sharp hook toes. Men in Qiang nation generally tie hanging knives and leather wallets on the waist, they wearing fabric shoes or straw sandals, and wrapping wool puttees, also with waist belts tied on. Today, in areas close to the cities and towns of Han people, affected by the Han people’s clothing, Qiang people mostly wearing Han apparels and only wearing Qiang costumes in holidays.



Through the changes of history and turns of times, with the developing of Chinese cities, modern people favorite for going after changes and curious about adventures, as life styles and aesthetic concepts transformed, traditional folk embroidery appeared in cities from the countryside gradually, not only the sentiments and aspirations of citizen members have been infiltrated with embroidery art, but also thousands of families effected by and began to practice the skill of embroidery together.



Qiang folk art could switched to response the times, thus naturally to regain a new life. In particular, as in this prosperous millennium, people greet the occasion and are all eager to be rich, the embroidery art should to catch the popular fancy and focus on displaying the connotations of people’s hopes that praying for rich, profit, good luck and safety. So, as served as a national product, Qiang embroidery could be descended and developed at the same time. Therefor, we can conclude that there is potential large market for the national folk art’s enhancement and development.



In 21st century the most promoted idea we referred is innovation, we believe that based on maintaining the Qiang embroidery’s traditional essences and integrated with our rich and profound culture deposits and modern styles, thus produced works combined with modern fashion elements, we are able to obtain a broader space for development and display Qiang embroidery art’s unique charms.

Krista QQ(www.123giftfactory.com) said:


Qiang ethnic minority is one ancient nation in our Chinese ethnic family. For thousands of years, together with the other members of our big folk family, the ethnic minority of Qiang have created the Chinese nation’s great splendid civilizations.



From the nomadic times to the farming times, from ancient times until today, The Qiang nation has experienced countless glory and honor, also suffered from hardships and tribulations. They always keep the Chinese nation’s fine qualities of hard-working, kind-hearted, simple and unadorned. In the mountains on the northwest Sichuan, between the canyons, they spread over and descended toughly from generation to generation, to retain a special, ancient folk culture gene in China.



Embroidery is a kind of traditional Chinese handicraft that using needles to draw various color threads go between fabrics and created drawings on it. The various embroidery patches and embroidered image patterns on Qiang nation people’s apparels are all belong to the traditional Qiang’s ethnic folk arts and crafts, which has a long history.

As to the production means, Qiang’s ethnic embroidery were produced by various individual families, also is through this method to achieve following and continuation traditionally. It is a unique art created own by Qiang nation’s people, which is imbued with their wisdoms and originalities.



Qiang’s ethnic embroidery works full of free imaginations and followed regular norms at same time, it is a sort of art creation that featured with merits of spontaneity, amateurism and self-entertainment. In the long history of development, Qiang’s ethnic embroidery formed its unique aesthetic styles, color specifications and functional forms naturally, also folk and self-embodied with national folk art rules which has aesthetic values.

As to the function, Qiang’s ethnic embroidery mainly used for decorating people’s coats and skirts, shoes, head towels, belts, ribbons, bands, straps, cuffs, pants, trousers bodies, shoe-uppers, insoles, pillowcases, handkerchiefs, clothing edges, sleeves and sachets, from these art patterns we can view the history line of Qiang’s ethnic costume culture.



As long as to do a bit statistics, we can learn that there are over 100 kinds of embroidery patterns merely in Qiang’s ethnic apparels, that is really colorful! Containing Qiang nation people’s fine aspirations for a better life, these exquisite embroidery works created by fine techniques are simple, rigorous, arranged ingenious and reasonable, also using moderate colors, thus to integrate the aesthetic forms and functional forms naturally: Not only for wearing beautiful, but also wearable, and the use lift extended consequently.

As per to Qiang’s ethnic embroidery, the aesthetic and practical functions of which could not be separated sharply. The reason is referring the practical function, to increase its wearable quality only is a primary step; in a deeper sense, those gorgeous and colorful image patterns on Qiang’s ethnic embroidery actually congealed Qiang nation people’s praying and blessing for life, which reflected their dreams of beyond reality.



As the image patterns they selected: fishes, flowers and birds, worms, fowls and beasts, figures, fruits and melons, flowers, ‘Fortunes smile upon and Favor you’, Treasures Fill the Home, Hundreds of birds visit Phoenix, all these designs are profound and lifelike. Although done with some geometric or other forms of transforming treatment, but are closely related to their reality all along, and the starting point of their ideas for a better life is just existed in such a reality of survival.

Alvin Starkman said:


Alvin Starkman  M.A., LL.B.

 

Aficionados of folk art of the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico are already familiar with Arden Aibel Rothstein and Anya Leah Rothstein’s Mexican Folk Art From Oaxacan Artist Families (Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 2007). It was surprising to learn, however, that some people with an interest in the crafts of Oaxaca’s central valleys, are not even aware of this seminal work – particularly since it was first published back in 2002.

 

The 2007 edition of Mexican Folk Art is a comprehensive compilation and detailed examination of each major type of contemporary Oaxacan folk art, set out in a refreshingly user friendly format.   The book is divided into ten chapters, each devoted to a different medium:  Ceramics, Textiles, Woodcarving, Metal (including tin work, cutlery and knives), Miniatures and Toys, Jewelry, Candles, Basketry and Dried Flower Crafts, with the final chapter devoted to Day of the Dead. 

 

Generally, each chapter begins with a broad description of an art form, including significant variations within.  In the Ceramics chapter, for example, the divisions are Terra Cotta, Green Glazed, Multi-Color Glazed, Black (barro negro) and Painted Red.  Often a village in Oaxaca’s central valleys is known for the production of a specific type of folk art.  Accordingly, in some cases a chapter then proceeds to describe a particular pueblo, giving the reader additional context.  We find descriptions of, amongst others, the ceramics towns of Atzompa, San Bartolo Coyotepec and Ocotlán.  

 

Where a family is noted for a special innovation or its adeptness at creating a certain craft, a family history follows. The individual craftspeople are then highlighted. For the black pottery of San Bartolo Coyotepec, we find descriptions of the De Nieto Castillo family, of which the famed Doña Rosa was a member, along with biographies of her son Don Valente Nieto Real and members of his clan; and of the Pedro Martínez family with biographies of acclaimed Carlomagno Pedro Martínez and his relatives.

 

All told, Mexican Folk Art showcases the works of 100 artists from 50 families living in Oaxaca or one of 13 nearby towns and villages.  In most cases we’re enlightened regarding the personality, worldview and motivation of each individual carver, weaver or potter, as well as provided with a biographical sketch, enhanced with the inclusion of a direct quote.  In this way the reader gains insight into the inspiration of each craftsperson. In many instances the authors also include a section on the techniques used by the artist, which variously includes the sourcing of raw materials such as wool from the Mixteca region of the state for making rugs and wall hangings, or clays from other regions of the state for changing tone and texture of sculptures; and processing methods including the extracting of natural dyes from fruits, plants, soils and the cochineal insect.

 

With its glossy front cover and approximately 700 photographs, Mexican Folk Art can rightfully be termed a coffee table book.  But it’s much more.  The photos in and of themselves bring the book, and the artists, to life:  Apolinar Aguilar of Ocotlán, forging a red hot piece of recycled metal into an artistic hunting knife; a display of provocatively painted clay ladies of the night made by his cousin Julian, son of celebrated Guillermina Aguilar;  Jacobo Ángeles of San Martín Tilcajete carving a figure from the wood of the copal tree, or standing alongside wife María and their family, each proudly displaying an exquisitely painted alebrije;  Teotitlán del Valle weaver Isaac Vásquez, working at his loom creating a tapete, the pattern inspired by a pre-Hispanic pictograph;  and fine examples of multi-colored highly detailed  hand embroidery from San Antonino, such as the yoke and sleeve of a wedding dress.

 

This gem should easily entice any reader with an interest or background in anthropology, history or geography.  The importance and influence of indigenous Zapotec ancestry and its present-day cultural manifestations shines through many of the ethnographic accounts.  The genealogies (referred to as Family Trees) comprising one of the appendices are in-depth, and date as far back as the 19th century.  They assist the reader in better understanding the historical and generational context of Oaxacan craft development.

 

To help those with an interest in exploring the craft villages and visiting the artists on their own, without the assistance of a Oaxaca tour guide, throughout the body of the book the address and all available additional contact information for each artist is provided, such as phone number and email.  A second appendix consists of a series of easy-to-read pueblo maps, detailing the precise location of each featured artist, further facilitating contact.

 

Authors Arden and Anya Rothstein correctly caution that their presentation of artists constitutes “a sampler” of what’s available to those interested in exploring Oaxaca’s hinterland.  They in fact encourage getting out and exploring on your own, finding that next folk artist who might rise to international stature. They are careful to qualify that their inclusions are based on which craftspeople are the most innovative, or produce work which is of especially high caliber according to certain criteria.  The Rothsteins recognize that the work of any innovator of an entire class of folk art, and of those producing quality a cut above that of the rest, is often out of the financial reach of many.  Therefore, they feature additional artists whose works are more affordable, yet also of exceptional quality. 

 

Collectors of folk art often need a reminder that buying the work of a recognized name does not necessarily mean that the product is the best, in terms of coloration or patina, form, design, or the imagery it provokes, and that what strikes the fancy of most, or of the so-called experts, might not be your particular cup of tea.  Along this vein, “honorable mention” is provided for makers of certain crafts whose works are not featured (under the heading of, for example, “Additional woodcarvers in Arrazola”).  The clear suggestion is that readers should get out there and explore, and make their own determinations and choices based upon personal preferences.

 

Is it worth purchasing the 2nd edition if you already have the 1st?  Certainly give it some consideration if you have not already enmeshed yourself in the appreciation and collecting of Oaxacan folk art by having explored the central valleys. Where the 2002 volume boasts 500 photos and features 87 artists within 44 families, the most recent publication, as noted earlier, has been expanded to 700, 100 and 50, respectively.  Some of the craftspeople merely mentioned in the earlier volume under the “Additional” heading, have been elevated to “featured artist,” with their works and stories duly chronicled.  And in some cases where families have grown and pueblo demographics have been altered, the authors have appropriately noted changes.  Wisely, at least in this critic’s opinion, the U.S. dollar “Price Guide” has been omitted from this new volume, since more than anything else it likely lead to confusion for the buying public, with the potential of putting up barriers between artists and prospective customers.  As between Mexican and American economies, there are so many variables and market conditions at play, best to allow vendor/creator and purchaser do their own assessment respecting value for workmanship.

 

Mexican Folk Art is a well-researched exhaustive study of all major types of contemporary Oaxacan folk art and their makers, past and present.  Don’t let its appearance as “just another fancy coffee table book” deceive you.  It accomplishes what it sets out to do, and then some.  It should be viewed as a guide, rather than a bible.  If we’re ever blessed with a 3rd edition, perhaps the publisher will deem it advisable to place duplicates of the pueblo maps in a separate pocket … it would be a pity for such a wonderful work to become unduly worn by toting it from village to village.

Caroline Jones said:


Folk art is craft from the past – history in an object. Whenever we admire a beautifully woven basket, a perfectly carved decoy duck or an exquisitely hand sewn quilt we are appreciating articles of folk art. But what exactly does the term “folk art” mean? Simply, it was adopted in America early last century to describe works made by people who had never had any formal training in carving a decoy duck or sewing a quilt for instance. Previously terms such as “naive” or “primitive” had been used to describe such objects, but neither is as evocative as the term “folk” art – the simple, ordinary, modest art made by plain ordinary folk.

Folk art is always unique and embodies the spirit of it’s creator, comprising both decorative and utilitarian items. It is rare these days to find original items at inexpensive prices, and neither can they be found in great quantities, but from time to time beautiful folk art items can be found at car boot sales, markets and country auctions. Before industrialisation and mass-manufacturing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, ordinary people hand made objects, such as decoy duck s both for decoration and for everyday use. It’s these handmade items that are so desirable to collectors today.

Painted tinware, hand-turned wooden bowls, all kinds of baskets, colorful quilts and other textiles may still be found. Spongeware pottery – which is named from the pieces of cut sponge used to apply patterns to the pottery surface – is much harder to find in the UK than it is in the USA as a large amount of spongeware was exported to the US from the 1820s onwards.

Hunting with decoy ducks became popular in Victorian Britain, although Native Americans have a long history of using lures and carving is a tradition firmly rooted in American folk art. The finest American ducks were carved in the 1920s and 1930s, and beautiful examples are still being produced today. In top condition with original paint, a decoy duck could fetch more than $20,000 if made by one of the big names such as Elmer Crowell of Cape Cod.

Many basket weavers were farmers who made their own containers for agricultural use – look out for those bearing the initials of the farmer who made them, or stencilled details of the contents.

Rustic textiles in coarse linen and woollen cloth were woven on domestic handlooms which were often very narrow – so the pieces of cloth then had to be joined together to make larger items such as sheets and bed covers. You may find some with characteristically bold patterns in reds and blues.

Quilting, which is the quintessential American folk art technique was also carried out in Britain in the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly in Wales and Northern England where keeping out the cold was so extremely important. Women used the long winter hours to apply their needlework skills to create the beautiful quilts we treasure today. Their skills crossed the Atlantic to America with the first European settlers.

Bringing these wonderful old handmade items of folk art into our homes is not just a great way of honoring the traditions of the past, but is also a way of paying tribute to the many unknown, but incredibly skilled folk who crafted them so beautifully.

Elda Titus said:


Weathercock, weathercock, up in the sky, What can you see from your perch so high?

To farmers or to anyone working outside, the weather has always been a very important element. It taught our forefathers to sense impending storms, to hunt from down wind, and to make fires safely.

Before the days of “weather reports” the weather vane was more important then the clock is to workers today. Weather vanes and the wind was a true indicator of weather patterns. Because of this weathervanes became indispensable to the pioneers.

The first weathervanes were made of wood, with an arrow or pointing hand that had north-south directions indicated on them. The wood would rot, so the pioneers got creative and covered the wood with copper sheeting to give the weathervane a longer life. This made the weathervane too heavy, and it did not swing properly.

By definition, a weathervane is a figure that turns freely on a vertical rod and always points into the wind. Weathervane is derived from the word “fane,” which means flag or banner in Anglo-Saxon.

The Greeks erected the first recorded weathervane about 48BC. It honored the Greek god Triton, as they believed the winds had divine powers. It had 8 sides that were carved representing the winds. Even then, they knew wind was a true indicator of weather patterns.

In the ninth century a pope supposedly decreed that every church have a **** on its steeple, a reminder of when Peter denied Christ three times; a reminder that each person would deny Jesus in some way.

The Quakers and Puritans thought weathercocks were graven images, so it wasn’t until the eighteenth century that weathervanes became popular in the United States. At this time many churches adopted either rooster or swallow-tailed vanes.

In 1742, the most famous weathervane in the United States was made in Boston. Shaped like a grasshopper, complete with glass eyes. Just think, if that grasshopper could speak—what a historian it would be. It has survived earthquakes, fires, and the Boston Massacre.

Thomas Jefferson with his creative spirit attached the weathervane on Monticello to a pointer in the ceiling of the room directly below. While sitting inside he could till the direction of the wind.

“The Dove of Peace,” a dove weathervane, was commissioned by George Washington for his estate at Mount Vernon. He commissioned the weathervane commemorating the end of the Revolutionary War.

Weathervane usually feature the interest of the owner; from chicken, horses, pigs, and other livestock for farmers, to deer or water foul for the hunter to sporting scenes or figures of a humorous nature. Weathervanes show off ones personality.

Weathervanes are both plain and fancy, some highly artistic and some humorous, or just an arrow pointing into the wind.

Weathervanes are making a come back, the fanciful designs that reflect the personality of the owners. Placed on top cupolas, weathervanes are giving homes a look to make them stand out from the crowd. http://prairierosecountry.com

Bernal Castillo said:


When you come to Acapulco you can appreciate how easy it is to find quality folk art as well as enjoyable gifts and souvenirs. This article tells you where in Acapulco you can go for souvenir and folk art shopping. A related article provides general information and tips and a third one discusses Mexican silver.

Cruise Ship Passengers. If you arrive by cruise ship, your time will be more limited, and you will probably want to stay in the part of town where the ship has docked. (If you have all day, however, do not be afraid to grab a taxi and explore the whole bay!) The few stores in the terminal itself are good choices. They are reliable, and though their prices are not the lowest in town, they are safe and convenient. The clerks speak English and French as well as Spanish, and the selection is always very good. If you walk to Fort San Diego nearby, that gift shop also has books, art prints and some genuine crafts. Around the central square, the Zócalo, just a few blocks away, you can find many other shops, too, though they tend more towards souvenirs than folk art and crafts. About a 10 minute walk beyond the Zócalo you will find the Mercado de Artesanias Parazal (also called “Tepito”), where you will find an overwhelming collection of booths and tables of all sorts, selling just about everything imaginable. You will be in Acapulco’s oldest shopping neighborhood, and you will pass lots of other stores on your way to and from. On the way back you can look for a couple more folk art shops in the two blocks immediately east of the Zócalo, on the Costera Alemán.

Acapulco Vacationers. If you will be in town for a while, you should plan to hit a few different places, mainly up and down the Costera Alemán. Technically, an open-air, souvenir market is a “Mercado de Artesanias,” but locals call it a “tianguis.” Some have more art than junk, others more junk than art, and all of them have lots of things to eat as well. In addition to the Mercado de Artesanías Parazal, mentioned above, there are smaller versions on Caletilla Beach (down at the western end of the Costera), across from Tamarindos Beach (called Noa Noa, near Hornos), across from Parque Papagayo, and across from the Crowne Plaza hotel in the “Golden Zone.” At the Diana traffic circle, the Mercado de Artesanías Diana covers a large area, and offers an especially rich selection of folk art, including blouses and skirts. Scattered along the Costera from one end to the other are small areas in which street vendors have spread out their merchandise. They are not as permanent (or semi-permanent) as the tiaguis, but they also have good selection and value. The indigenous vendors are usually the women, almost always dressed in colorful, shirt waist dresses with puffy sleeves and accordion-creased skirts, covered with a pinafore apron in a contrasting color and pattern. For most, Spanish is their second language, and a good proportion of them may speak it at least as well as you do. Gestures work fine.

For gifts and decorative items in a higher-quality range, several stores have become very popular with the tourists. In Costa Azul, around on the east side of the bay, you will find the “Casa de Cultura” (about a half-block past the CiCi Water Park on the same side of the street). Here the city government operates a cultural center that also supports sales by local artists of their own works. Ceramics, pottery, jewelry, painted items, all sorts of artisan handiwork is on sale here, and the prices are usually very reasonable. Sometimes the craftsmen will set up a demonstration for passers-by to show how they create their art. Artesanías Finas de Acapulco (locally known as Afa-Aca) is a large store with a large inventory of works from all over Mexico. You can even buy a complete mariachi outfit if you want. Furniture, paintings, sculptures, jewelry, and hand-embroidered clothes and tablecloths are on sale here. Many consider this to be the top store of its kind in Acapulco and perhaps in all of Mexico. It is found on the corner of Horatio Nelson and the Costera in Costa Azul or downtown near the corner of the Costera with Juan Escudero (two blocks east of the Zócalo). In the Plaza Bahía center you will find Alebrijes & Caracoles, which has an inventory of fun items for the kids as well as decorative items for home and garden.

For the adventurous, there are a few “serious” marketplaces in town, where the chefs go in the early morning to buy for their restaurants, and where the locals go to buy everything for their home. The prices are better than in the supermarkets and fancier stores, but the conditions are a good bit more primitive. The Central Market (at Cine Rio) and the Mercado Del Campesino (in Progreso) are the two prime examples. Some folk art and souvenirs can be found there, but your main motive for going would be just to have a look at how the non-touristic sector of the city really works.