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and Sardinian Crafts
Possibilities range from the tapestries woven on old looms to
the famous knives of Pattada or Arbus. Amid tension for the formal
renewal and conservation of ancient techniques and styles, in
Sardinia handicrafts have been preserved incredibly well: it is
an artistic heritage today revealed in both the small shops of
the historic centre and the small villages of the internal regions.
Tapestries and Carpets:
Symbols of Christian or Byzantine tradition, images which go back
to the dawn of civilisation: carpets and tapestries are the work
of Sardinian women who, still even now, weave on traditional wooden
looms.
The weaving of carpets is a very tiring and toilsome process.
Traditional motifs are produced with “punt’e agu”
(the point of a needle), with threads of silk, gold and silver
on woollen warps, cotton, linen or hemp. They are then beaten
during the weaving by the comb of the horizontal loom. From such
a process emerge: wonderfully colourful flowers, spirals, circles,
triangles, castles and towers, hunters on horseback, deer, eagles,
Sardinian dances, warriors and wedding processions.
Ceramics and terracotta:
Inheritances of an ancient art which still shows traces of Phoenician,
Greek and Roman influence. Sardinian ceramicists produce thier
works respecting tradition, with symbols and motifs which represent
and characterise the habits and typical culture of the island.
Knives as jewels:
From the first blades made from bone and rough-hewn flint, to
the working of the hardest local obsidian, to the unique pieces
produced by modern craftsmen, the Sardinian knife is the story
of customs and culture.
The primacy in jackknife production goes, without doubt, to Pattada
(Sassari), which takes the name, fittingly, of “pattadese”.
Also important, however, is Arbus (Cagliari), a village with over
5000 inhabitants situated in the area around Guspini, where a
knife given the name of “S’Arburesa” is produced.
Its shape is completely different, insofar as the steel blade
is much bigger compared to other knives. Often the blades are
made with designs or engravings of traditional Sardinian images.
Among the best examples are: entirely handmade, long-bladed knives
which fold back onto their horn handle or classic features like
damask blades. Handles with gold, titanium and silver finishings
can be ordered on request.
Plaiting:
Big and small baskets are produced by extremely capable craftsmen
all over Sardinia, including Castiadas. Each year it is possible
to admire their skills, during the Exhibition/Market of Crafts
and Farm Produce, which takes place at the ex prison over summer.
One can buy numerous objects, for example baskets in reed or wood,
cylindrical or V-shaped, used to collect mushrooms, larger baskets
and skeps in rushes and straw, bound in a single spiral. The shape
is circular, although the size can vary: “sa crobi o sa
crobedda” small with high edges, “sa palinedda”,
small and flat, “su canisteddu”, flat but very large.
Wood and Stone:
For the production of furniture, accessories, especially,
but also sculptures, masks and pipes, Sardinian wood is worked
with great skill by master carvers.
Among the most famous and highly-rated sculptors in Castiadas
we find Mauro Cossu, a figure known even at international level:
among his best works are chairs, tables, chests, armchairs, coatstands,
pictures, various sculptures in chestnut, poplar and ash. He also
sculpts and makes monuments in stone to distinguish piazzas. His
works have been shown at national and interational trade fairs
and his furniture adorns hotels, restaurants and villas, in Sardinia
and beyond.
Another renowned personage is Francesco Sechi, considered an artist-craftsman.
He works not only in wood but also obsidian and stone. In his
studio there are wooden masks, traditional Sardinian carvings
in both wood and cork or authentic sculptures hewn from Sardinian
juniper or wild olive trees.
In Villasimius, Antonio Frau is a young craftsman of enormous
talent. Among his most valuable productions, ennobled by traditionally
carved motifs, objects and furniture accessories, chests and various
sculptures both in wood and stone, his works are exhibited during
the summer period along the main Via Umberto 1o street in Villasimius.
From gold to coral:
According to ancient documents, goldsmiths were already present
in the C14th, usually involved, if the number of artefacts from
the period is anything to go by, in the production of religious
items, such as crucifixes, candlesticks and rosaries, refining
an art which still today offers works of rare beauty. Valuable
necklaces and powerful talismans, amulets and reliquies, chains
and chaplets, finely crafted bracelets, Sardinian earrings and
wedding rings, buttons and brooches – all of these items
from the traditional Sardinian costume are the very delicate work
which master goldsmiths produce for small shops all around the
island. The most widespread of the working techniques for precious
metals is filigree. Traditional jewels can be imple or embellished
with river pearls, following the Cretan goldsmith model.
The many forms of cork:
Cork production today represents the backbone industry of the
island economy and is normally used to make bottle taps. Thanks
to its elasticity, impermeability and durability, however, the
bark can also be employed in construction work, as a natural insulator.
Moreover, it is a common choice for souvenirs. For example, plates,
trays and cutting boards are manufactured from it, as well as
containers, watches, ashtrays, pictures and barrels, taken from
shepherding tradition, but which now find a very original place
among the ordinary utensils of daily life.
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