Arts and Crafts of Different Nations

Throughout its entire history, mankind has expressed itself in art, and every nation has done it in its own peculiar way. Visiting ethnic art museums and exhibitions is probably one of the most exciting parts of travelling. It’s amazing how greatly art can vary from country to country! Here are some of the most curious examples of arts and crafts belonging to different cultures.

1.   African tribal art

Some African tribes still live by old traditions, severed from the benefits of civilization. If you travel to the depth of the continent, you can witness the variety of ethnic African art first hand. Finely woven wicker baskets, wood carvings, ritual masks, tribal jewelry and fertility dolls – all this looks weird and fascinating to the civilized eye. Most of the items have a practical purpose – masks are worn during tribal dances, dolls are used to perform magic rituals and those bizarre ear tubes and lip plates that strike our imagination is an obligatory part of wooing.

2.   Indian tapestries

Among all samples of Indian crafts, tapestries depicting traditional ethnic motifs – palms, elephants, monkeys, people in national outfits – are probably the most popular. Producing one of such tapestries involves great patience and knowledge of a special technology. However, the result is worth the efforts. The ready items are used to decorate premises and also as ritual attributes.

3.   Chinese graphics

Traditionally, Chinese paintings are performed in black or colored ink using the same technique as calligraphy. That gives them a peculiar “graphical” appearance. Made on paper or silk, the paintings were stored and transported in rolls that could be further unrolled and mounted on the wall. In early centuries, painters mainly depicted nature and animals, but later they switched to painting humans and scenes of daily life.

4.   Native American pottery

Native Americans are most widely known for their pottery and ceramics that vary greatly in shape and pattern. Beautiful jars, clay figurines and other fine trifles can now be seen in national museums all over the continent. The cultural heritage of Native Americans also includes traditional basketry and wood carvings as well as unique sand and leather paintings.

5.   Inuit sculptures

The severe Arctic climate has affected not only the life of Inuit people, but also their art represented mainly by sculptures made from ivory, soapstone and other deposits. The sculptures largely depict various Northern animals – deer, bears, seals – and local dwellers busy with daily Inuit activities such as hunting and fishing.

It’s hard to understate the importance of arts in our life. Even if we don’t produce it ourselves, we still ‘consume’ it every day. We basically can’t live without art, be it sophisticated Impressionistic painting or simply our favorite rock band. By the way, if you are into the former, you will definitely benefit from visiting Leonid Afremov online gallery where your thirst for fine art will be fully satisfied. Using a unique palette knife painting technique, the artist creates bright and vivid canvases that will become a great decoration for any interior, including yours. If you like any of the paintings, don’t hesitate to order it online!