Who are Artisans?

Artisans are tradesmen and tradeswomen or craftsmen and craftswomen. They are skilled workers that are involved in skilled trade
using their hands in making things, installing things, repairing things and maintaining things with the help of tools, equipment or
machinery. Unlike white collar jobs, these craftspersons are known for blue collar jobs. As a matter of fact they are skilled manual
workers that specialize in specific crafts. Artisan services involve the use of hands in making crafts hence these crafts are called
handicrafts such that while the male artisans are called handicraftsmen, the female artisans are called handicraftswomen. Some
artisans are also referred to as technicians as a result of their technical skills. In times past, artisans are also called artificers.

Artisans are divided into two categories. Artisans that teach or train others are called masters while those learning from these masters
are called apprentices or journeymen. Apprenticeship is the process and period of time for apprentices to learn crafts or trade from their
masters under agreed conditions.
Importance of Artisans
1. Artisans through their skills make things that can be used at homes, offices and industries
2. Artisans help fix things for individuals, businesses, governmental and non-government organizations.
3. Artisans that are good in installation help install things in homes, offices and industries.
4. Artisan services are sources of blue collar jobs which can reduce unemployment, poverty and social vices.
5. Artisan services enable people who are not financially buoyant or academically sound to be useful to themselves, their families and
the society by learning vocational and technical skills.
6. Artisans contribute to the economy of a nation through their taxes paid to the government.
Difference Between Artisans and Craftsmen
Although artisans and craftsmen are generally regarded to be the same, however it should be noted that they differ in some ways.
Thus, artisans are quite different from craftsmen because they are skilled workers that make things using their hands owing to their
dexterity(ability to make things or perform tasks using hands). The things made my artisans can have functional values, decorative
values or aesthetic values. Besides, artisan products(i.e products made by artisans) may have higher value than those of craftsmen.
Craftsmen on the other hand are skilled in crafts with lesser creativity but high replication. Craftsmen products(products made by
craftsmen are called crafts) have mainly functional values. The products made by craftsmen may be of lesser value than those of
artisans. We can therefore say to some extent that some craftsmen are artisans but not all artisans are craftsmen.
Some Differences Between Artisans and Technicians.
All technicians are artisans but not all artisans are technicians. This is because some artisans specialize in making only crafts while
those that can install, repair and maintain things like automobiles, electricals, electronics, equipment, machinery, etc are technicians in
their own right. Artisans have practical knowledge than theories unlike technicians that have both theoretical and practical knowledge.
Thus, technicians possess practical skills, know the techniques and understand theories about specific field of technology. Artisans
undergo apprenticeship and/or vocational and technical training for skills acquisition but technicians may undergo technical schools or
institutions to acquire theoretical and practical skills. While artisans are offered certificates of apprenticeship, technicians can have
certificates and even diplomas. Technicians are better paid than artisans. However, artisans and technicians can be highly skilled or
semi-skilled. It is important to note that besides technologists, artisans and technicians are cadres of engineering.
Classification of Artisans and Types of Artisan Crafts
There are many ways to classify artisans. On this context however, artisans and their crafts can be classified into the following
categories based on the nature of work of artisans, artisans’ crafts, what artisans work with and what artisans work on.
1. Woodworkers(woodland crafts): They are artisans that work on, work with wooden materials. Those that manufacture using wood
usually produce wooden crafts.
2. Building and construction workers(building crafts): These are artisans that use their artisan skills to contribute to the building and
construction industry. They make use of metal materials, wooden materials, chemicals, etc.
3. Textile workers(textile crafts): These are artisans that make use of textiles and fabric materials. They more or less part of the fashion
industry. Hence fashion designers or tailors that make clothes are textile workers. Leather workers that make use of hides and skin in
making shoes, bags, belts and caps fall under this category.
4. Metal Workers(Metal crafts): These are artisans that specialize in using metal materials. They make, install, repair and maintain
metal stuff. Welders and fabricators fall under this category of artisans.
Types of Artisans or Types of Artisan Services
An artisan specializes in a particular craft. Thus, artisan services varies depending on the skill of individual artisans
1. Armorers: These are artisans that specialize in making of weapons. An example of an armorer is a gunsmith.
2. Blacksmiths: Blacksmiths are artisans that specialize in making or forging iron. Ironsmiths and iron benders are typical examples of
blacksmiths.
3. Bladesmiths: Bladesmiths are artisans that make blades, knives, daggers and swords using hammers, anvils and other smithing
tools.
4. Goldsmiths: Goldsmiths are artisans that specialize in forging things from gold. Thus, can be using gold in making jewelry
5. Gunsmiths: Gunsmiths are artisans that have the skills to make guns. A gunsmith is an example of armorers.
6. Locksmiths: Locksmiths are artisans that make locks as well as unlock locks. The process of making locks is called locksmithing.
7. Nailsmiths: These are artisans that specialize in making nails which are fasteners used in construction and woodwork.
8. Joiners: Joiners are artisans that are trained to join two or more things together. Joiners are makers of wooden furniture or fittings.
Carpenters are joiners. The process of getting these things joined is called joinery.
9. Coopers: Coopers are artisans that specialize in making barrels and repairing barrels. They are can also make wooden vessels and
repair wooden vessels- making casks, repair casks, make buckets, repair buckets, make tubs and repair tubs.
10. Dyers: Dyers are artisans that are specially trained to dye cloth or fabrics.
11. Furriers: Furriers are artisans that specialize in making fur clothes, selling fur clothes and repairing fur clothes.
12. Hatters: Hatters are artisans that specializing in making hats, selling hats and repairing hats.
13. Potters: Potters are artisans that are trained in making pots and ceramic wares. Thus, potters use clay in making vessels. The
process of making these pots is called pottery.
14. Rope makers: Rope makers are artisans that are skillful in rope making. In fact, they make ropes.
15. Saddlers: Saddlers are artisans that make seats or tacks that are used in horses’ back, bikes, bicycles, and others.
16. Shoemakers and Cobblers: Shoemakers are artisans that specialize in making shoes and the process is called shoemaking.
Cobblers are artisans that repair shoes hence otherwise called shoe repairers or shoe menders.
17. Stonemasons: Stonemasons are artisans that work with stones.
18. Tailors and Seamstresses: Tailors are tradesmen(male artisans) that makes and amends men’s clothing while seamstresses makes
and amends women’s clothing. Tailors and seamstresses are also called fashion designers or fashion makers. In fact, they sew clothes
and repair clothes.
19. Tanners: Tanners are artisans that tan hides to leathers which can be used in making shoes, bags and belts. Tannery is the place
where hides are tanned and the process of converting hides to leathers is called tanning.
20. Weavers: These are artisans that are capable of twisting strands or materials of different lengths over others. It can be human hairs
or hair extensions, baskets, sieves, etc.

Besides the above types of artisans the following are also some types of artisans.
1. Bricklayers that specialize in bricklaying. They are also called masons and what they do is called masonry. They are contracted for
building residential and commercial homes and offices respectively.
2. Plumbers that specialize in plumbing. They are hired for plumbing jobs or plumbing services
3. Tilers that specialize in tiling. They are hired for tiling jobs or tiling services
4. Electricians that specialize in electrical works or electrical services. They are hired for electrical jobs or electrical services which could
be electrical installations, electrical repairs and electrical maintenance.
5. Painters that specialize in painting: They are hired for painting jobs or painting services
6. Carpenters that specialize in carpentry. They are hire for carpentry jobs or carpentry services. Roofers specialize in roofing while
furniture makers specialize in making furniture.
7. Hairdressers and barbers that specialize in hairdressing and barbing respectively.
8. Welders and fabricators that specialize in welding and fabrication. They are hired for welding and fabrication jobs or welding and
fabrication services.
9. Artists and craftsmen that specialize in making artworks and crafts respectively. They are hired for arts and crafts jobs or services.
10. Decorators that specialize in decorations. They are hired for decoration jobs or decoration services.
11. Bead makers specialize in bead making. They are hire for bead making jobs or bead making services. Bead making trainers are
known to provide bead making training.
An artisan (from French: artisan, Italian: artigiano) is a skilled craft worker who makes or creates things by hand that may be functional or strictly
decorative, for example furniture, decorative arts, sculptures, clothing, jewellery, food items, household items and tools or even mechanisms such
as the handmade clockwork movement of a watchmaker. Artisans practice a craft and may through experience and aptitude reach the expressive
levels of an artist.

The adjective "artisanal" is sometimes used in describing hand-processing in what is usually viewed as an industrial process, such as in the phrase
artisanal mining. Thus, "artisanal" is sometimes used in marketing and advertising as a buzz word to describe or imply some relation with the
crafting of handmade food products, such as bread, beverages or cheese. Many of these have traditionally been handmade, rural or pastoral goods
but are also now commonly made on a larger scale with automated mechanization in factories and other industrial areas.

Artisans were the dominant producers of consumer products before the Industrial Revolution.

In ancient Greece, artisans were drawn to agoras and often built workshops nearby

Medieval artisans

During the Middle Ages, the term "artisan" was applied to those who made things or provided services. It did not apply to unskilled manual
labourers. Artisans were divided into two distinct groups: those who operated their own businesses and those who did not. Those who owned their
businesses were called masters, while the latter were the journeymen and apprentices. One misunderstanding many people have about this social
group is that they picture them as "workers" in the modern sense: employed by someone. The most influential group among the artisans were the
masters, the business owners. The owners enjoyed a higher social status in their communities.[2]

Shokunin

Shokunin is a Japanese word for "artisan" or "craftsman", which also implies a pride in one's own work. In the words of shokunin Tashio Odate:

Shokunin means not only having technical skill, but also implies an attitude and social consciousness... a social obligation to work his best for the
general welfare of the people, [an] obligation both material and spiritual.[3]

Traditionally, shokunin honoured their tools of trade at New Year's – the sharpened and taken-care of tools would be placed in a tokonoma (a
container or box still found in Japanese houses and shops), and two rice cakes and a tangerine (on top of rice paper) were placed on top of each
toolbox, to honour the tools and express gratitude for performing their task
Mail or maille (also chain mail(le)[1] or chainmail(le)) is a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh.
A coat of this armour is often referred to as a hauberk, and sometimes a byrnie.

blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf.
whitesmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such as gates, grilles, railings, light fixtures, furniture, sculpture, tools, agricultural implements,
decorative and religious items, cooking utensils and weapons.

While there are many people who work with metal such as farriers, wheelwrights, and armorers, the blacksmith had a general knowledge of how
to make and repair many things, from the most complex of weapons and armor to simple things like nails or lengths of chain.

A gunsmith is a person who repairs, modifies, designs, or builds guns. This occupation differs from an armorer who usually only replaces worn parts
in standard firearms. A gunsmith actually does modifications and changes to a firearm that may require a very high level of craftsmanship requiring
the skills of a top level machinist, a very skilled wood worker, and even an engineer. Their level of craftsmanship usually requires several years of
training and practical experience under a higher level gunsmith, attendance at a gunsmithing school, or both.

Pottery is one of the oldest human inventions, originating before the Neolithic period, with ceramic objects like the Gravettian culture Venus of
Dolní Věstonice figurine discovered in the Czech Republic dating back to 29,000–25,000 BC,[3] and pottery vessels that were discovered in Jiangxi,
China, which date back to 18,000 BC. Early Neolithic pottery artefacts have been found in places such as Jōmon Japan (10,500 BC),[4] the Russian
Far East (14,000 BC),[5] Sub-Saharan Africa and South America.

Pottery is made by forming a ceramic (often clay) body into objects of a required shape and heating them to high temperatures in a kiln which
removes all the water from the clay, which induces reactions that lead to permanent changes including increasing their strength and hardening and
setting their shape. A clay body can be decorated before or after firing; however, prior to some shaping processes, clay must be prepared. Kneading
helps to ensure an even moisture content throughout the body. Air trapped within the clay body needs to be removed. This is called de-airing and
can be accomplished either by a machine called a vacuum pug or manually by wedging. Wedging can also help produce an even moisture content.
Once a clay body has been kneaded and de-aired or wedged, it is shaped by a variety of techniques. After it has been shaped, it is dried and then
fired.

Shoemaking is the process of making footwear.

Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand. Traditional handicraft shoemaking has now been largely superseded in volume of shoes
produced by industrial mass production of footwear, but not necessarily in quality, attention to detail, or craftsmanship.

Shoemakers (also known as cordwainers) may produce a range of footwear items, including shoes, boots, sandals, clogs and moccasins. Such items
are generally made of leather, wood, rubber, plastic, jute or other plant material, and often consist of multiple parts for better durability of the
sole, stitched to a leather upper

Other examples of artisan are: