Arts and Crafts

The Sardinia has a rich handcraft heritage that reflects its historical and cultural stratification. To trace the origins of this heritage one must go on a long and adventurous journey back in time to prehistory. It is during this journey that it is possible to recognize the Pre-Neolithic, Neolithic, Roman and Byzantine influences. Although Sardinian popular art has been influenced by these cultures, it has always had unique features which have distinguished it from other cultures.

These features are its originality and simplicity, expressed in terse forms, which derive from a rich local tradition that includes history, traditions, art and life. Therefore Sardinian handicrafts can be defined as real popular art, as a means of cultural expression of the whole population.

The continuity of traditional techniques has also been preserved throughout the centuries. Sardinian carpets, for example, have not only their own unique local characteristics that an expert can identify among carpets from hundreds of different countries, but the manufacturing techniques, the materials, the designs and the colors, (which vary greatly from village to village) ensure that Sardinian carpets can be easily recognized.

The same can be said for basketwork. Sardinian baskets represent one of the most characteristic and varied expressions of Sardinian decorative art. Ceramics and pottery also represent the characteristic decorative art for which Sardinia is famous. Although the Sardinian people have adopted a consumer lifestyle, handicrafts are still in daily use, even if modern life has little connection to the traditional Sardinian culture. Throughout the centuries the Sardinian culture has always maintained its distinctive characteristics and uniqueness. It’s these individual characteristics that lead to perfection in handicrafts.

Sardinian handicrafts, whose origins spring from humble rural life, offer a rustic genuineness. Moreover, in recent decades, there has been a notable expansion in the craft sector due to the efforts of Regione Sarda, (the government of Sardinia), which has promoted the handicraft sector, by various financial initiatives and by setting up, in 1957, L’I.S.O.L.A (Sardinian organization for promotion of craft activities). Artists such as Eugenio Tavolara and Ubaldo Badas, have worked with craftsmen to develop and evolve Sardinian crafts while respecting the traditions and traditional techniques.
Tapestries, carpets, filigree and baskets are only some expressions of Sardinian handicrafts which are known for their variety, richness and uniqueness.