Which traditional arts and crafts are on the verge of disappearing?
From Japanese lacquerwork to Indian block printing, ancient crafts that took centuries to perfect are dying as the last master artisans age without apprentices.
The answer
UNESCO's Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage tracks endangered crafts worldwide. Japanese urushi lacquerwork, requiring 15 to 20 years to master, has seen practitioners drop from 30,000 in the 1980s to fewer than 5,000. India's Parsi embroidery (gara) has only a handful of artisans remaining. Italian Murano glassblowing, dating to 1291, has declined from 6,000 glassmakers in the 1990s to fewer than 700. Turkish ebru (paper marbling) nearly vanished before UNESCO recognition in 2014 spurred revival programs. Syrian damascene metalwork - inlaying gold and silver into steel - was devastated by the civil war. Korean hanji (handmade paper) craftspeople number under 20. Encouragingly, digital platforms like Etsy and Instagram have enabled some traditional artisans to reach global markets, and several countries now offer living national treasure designations with financial support.
Source: UNESCO
- dying crafts
- intangible heritage
- cultural preservation
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