Tvåändsstickning och koginzashi En jämförelse mellan svensk och japansk syn på kulturarv utifrån slöjdtekniker

Abstract

The development of traditional handicrafts techniques and approaches are often considered as a key for their survival. The thesis aims to examine the perspective of cultural heritage through the traditional crafts which are exercised in Sweden and Japan. The purpose of this paper is to investigate these traditional handicrafts as well as to discuss the perspective of cultural heritage, tradition and development of the crafts through in comparison of twined knitting and koginzashi. Three sections of discussion are conducted. First, the existing publications about twined knitting and koginzashi are examined to see which way those crafts history and design development are described in popular science literature. Second, the brief study of cultural facts of Sweden and Japan is placed to provide a good illustration of how those two countries see handicrafts history and traditions. The final section is to analyse survey answered by craftsmen, presenting how each of them sees the relationship between the performed handicrafts, tradition, development and cultural heritage. The questionnaire is analysed through phenomenological methods. It is concluded that both craftsmen from Sweden and Japan share the common view points on tradition and preservation of crafts. They believe that the continuous work should be conducted on developing design and techniques, that would lead to finding a new possibility to broaden its market as well as to remain the tradition in the future. The paper also discusses that the problem on the preservation of crafts as an intangible cultural heritage which was found on the governmental level; the importance of craftsmanship and value tend to be overlooked and abandoned by negative perceptions on crafts existence.