Encountering Craft

This book reflects on the methodological challenges and possibilities encountered when researching practices that have been historically defined and classified as ‘craft.’ It fosters an understanding of how methodology, across disciplines, contributes to analytical frameworks within which the subject matter of craft is defined and constructed. The contributions are written by scholars whose work focuses on different craft practices across geographies. Each chapter contains detailed case study material along with theoretical analysis of the research challenges confronted. They provide valuable insight into how methodologies emerge in response to particular research conditions and contexts, addressing issues of decolonization, representation, institutionalization, and power. Informed by anthropology, art history and design, this volume facilitates interdisciplinary discussion and touches on some of the most critical issues related to craft research today.

Chandan Bose is a cultural anthropologist who works on craft production in contemporary India. He is Assistant Professor at the Department of Liberal Arts, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad.

Mira Mohsini (she/her) is a trained cultural anthropologist. She has conducted ethnographic research in India on urban craft economies, with a focus on how Muslim artisans adapt, survive, and create in the midst of multiple intersecting forms of marginalization.