Wrestling with Tradition: Revitalizing the Orkney Chair and Other Culturally Significant Crafts

Abstract

Across the world, "culturally significant" designs, products, and practices-such as traditional crafts-have been pushed to the margins by the forces of modernization and globalization. Appreciation of the positive attributes of these traditions drive widespread revitalization initiatives, often involving designers. Awareness of the cultural ramifications of design-led revitalization may deter enthusiasm for radical initiatives and instead promote preservation efforts. Yet a deconstruction of the popular understandings of tradition and origin indicates a need for change and cross-cultural contact. This article proposes that social value-central to a traditional craft's cultural significance-should be used to guide revitalization.

Inheritors of the Yellow River: the relationship of heritage making practices to cultural self-confidence in China

“…Furthermore, as these kinds of making practices are closely tied to place and community (Walker et al, 2019a), in the design field, a bottom-up perspective is often taken in related conservation activities. Such design practices or projects involve: transmission of craft knowledge (Härkönen, Huhmarniemi, and Jokela 2018;Wood, Rust and Horne 2009); continuity of tradition and human values (Twigger Holroyd et al 2017;Niedderer Townsend 2014); relationships between craft and sustainability (Zhan and Walker 2018;Väänänen Pöllänen 2020); cultural self-empowerment and social transformation through craft practices (Mamidipudi 2018;Vencatachellum 2019); and new opportunities facilitated by craft-design collaborations (Tung 2012;Chudasri, Walker and Evans 2020).…”

Designing an Appropriate Technology for Revitalising Traditional Craft Practice. Case study: Indonesian Stitch Resist Dyeing

“…Traditional craft practice sees a strong relationship between humans and their historical, cultural and social contexts and in this sense should be preserved and revitalised (Tung, 2012). In recent decades, craft practices have experienced a major dynamic shifting them from material culture into a commodity by the forces of modernisation and globalisation (Twigger Holroyd, Cassidy, Evans, & Walker, 2017). Many craft practices have shown the ability and flexibility to continuously evolve and transform to modern society by adopting an industrial production and modern technologies that go beyond the conventional modes of production (Chutia & Sarma, 2016;Tung, 2012).…”

“…Alfoldy (2007) classified crafts into three main groups: (i) traditional (conventional), (ii) contemporary and (iii) modern. Traditional crafts have a strong relationship with the multicultural history of certain societies, which is seen in the craft design forms, artefacts and practices (Alfoldy, 2007;Twigger Holroyd et al, 2017). Meanwhile, contemporary and modern crafts are more influenced by art and/or design -a combination of aesthetics, individuality, function, technology but at the same time also maintaining the political badge of handmade (Harrod, 1997in Chudsari, 2011Alfoldy, 2007).…”