Artisan
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An artisan, also called a craftsman, is a skilled manual worker who uses tools and machinery in a particular craft. Artisans were the dominant producers of goods before the Industrial Revolution. The term craftswoman is also used and a craftman's work exhibits craftsmanship)
Artisan origins
According to Classical economics theory, the division of labour occurs with internal market development (Adam Smith). However, according to economist John Hicks, merchants and artisans originated as servants to the rulers, which occurred much earlier.Artisan guilds
In Europe during the Middle Ages artisans usually organised into guilds. Guilds were associations of master artisans that were granted charters by the local sovereign authority. The guilds controlled all aspects of production and distribution to ensure quality and to prevent competition from outside markets. Along with merchants, artisans occupied the middle tier of the European and Indian social hierarchy, below the landowning aristocrats and above the agricultural workers. In contrast, Japan's Edo period artisan class was ranked below the samurai and the agricultural workers, and above the merchants.
To become an artisan in the guilds, a person worked under a master artisan as an unpaid apprentice at a young age. If the apprentice completed the training, the apprentice became a paid journeyman. For a journeyman to become a master artisan, he would have to produce a masterpiece that met the standards of the guild.
Artisan Jewelry
Artisan jewelry dates back as far as 7000 BC when gold and copper began to be sculpted to adorn the human form and the practice continues today. Although rarely price competitive with machine-made items, handmade artisan jewelry is prized for its uniqueness, variety and often unsurpassed beauty. Reflecting the talents of the artisan onto the wearer, the broad spectrum of artisan jewelry is available to provide satisfaction to queens, rock stars and "everyday folk." Numerous jewelry artisans exist around the globe. Some fine examples of artisan jewelry can be seen at: The Metropolitan Museum [link], An Original Design [link] and Native Web.[link]
See also
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