106 Items Tagged

Crafts

Weston, Missouri

National Silk Art Museum

The largest collection of woven silk tapestries in the world.

Battle, England

The Battle Tapestry

This modern artwork, inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry, tells Battle's early history following the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest.

Made of paper, bamboo, and found items, enormous, fearsome ogoh-ogoh figures are carried during Ngrupuk parades the night before Balinese New Year and then burned.

Meet the Creatures and Creators Behind Bali’s Parade for Banishing Evil Spirits

On the night before the Balinese New Year, villagers bring monsters to life—and then burn them.

Roxanne Hoorn May 1, 2024

Oaxaca is famous for its crafts, including alebrijes, colorful wood-carved animals.

Six Wondrous Reasons to Explore Oaxaca Right Now

Advice from an expert on what to see, drink, and eat in one of Mexico’s most exciting states.

Sponsored by Cayman Jack

Butterfingers Binding's latest project is a collaboration between three or four makers, and a gift for a friend. It is mostly made form reclaimed materials.

The Emerging Art of 'Fanbinding'

Fanfiction enthusiasts are learning “1,000 hobbies in a trench coat” to make gorgeous physical artifacts of their passions.

Elizabeth Minkel March 1, 2024

Mata Ortiz, Mexico

Galería Juan Quezada

A small gallery in the home of the founding father of Mata Ortiz pottery.

There are 72 bridges and other living root structures in the Indian state of Meghalaya, some of which date back 500 years. Among the best known is this double-decker bridge in Nongriat village.

Living Bridges, Mechanical Dragons, and the Smell of Rain

The year in amazing arts and wondrous crafts.

April White December 27, 2023

Italian tombstone carver Luigi Brusa knew he was dying from silicosis when he had a friend carve his impressive granite tombstone, known as "The Dying Man."

The Tombstone Sculptor Who Carved His Own Death in Granite

Nestled in Vermont’s Hope Cemetery, ‘The Dying Man’ tells the tragic tale of the area’s Italian gravestone carvers.

Alice Levitt October 3, 2023

Costa Rican designs for oxcarts are iconic and can be spotted throughout the country. The intricate patterns represent birds and foliage found in the dense forests, as well as spear tips from Indigenous and Aztec designs, and colors represent different regions.

A Look Inside the Last Colorful Oxcart Factory in Costa Rica

Uriel Alfaro Castro shows his handmade Aztec wheels, which outperformed European designs.

Sarah Yeoman September 5, 2023

Ambalangoda, Sri Lanka

Ariyapala Mask Factory and Museum

Beautiful and terrifying masks displayed in the island’s only mask library.

Children play in the monsoon rains that pour down on the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh every year from late July till September.

How Indian Perfumers Capture the Smell of Rain

In Kannauj, perfumers have been making monsoon-infused mitti attar for centuries.

Zinara Rathnayake August 2, 2023

A school crossing sign in Fukuoka offers a variation on Tobita-kun.

The 'Darting Children' That Helped Japan Win Its War on Traffic Accidents

How hand-painted signs known as Tobita-kun became beloved local mascots.

Allan Richarz July 25, 2023

roadside attractions

Podcast: World Famous Crochet Museum

Step inside the cutest, most cuddly museum in the desert.

The Podcast Team June 15, 2023

Fucina Museo

A place to appreciate the sweat and ingenuity it used to take to make a pot.

The tradition of open-air secondhand and antiquarian bookselling in Paris dates back to the Renaissance.

8 Surprising Stories to Celebrate World Book Day

The pleasures of reading about reading.

April White April 19, 2023

Píllaro, Ecuador

Casa El Pacto

The devil masks on display at this small museum are part of an annual festival that has been taking place for centuries.

Dimitrios Katsikis bangs away with a hammer, which he crafted himself from scrap metal, to shape a bronze greave, or shin guard. One of the very few modern technologies he allows himself is ear protection.

Meet the Blacksmith Resurrecting Greek History

Dimitrios Katsikis geeks out on making ancient armor with traditional methods.

Demetrios Ioannou December 16, 2022

Unique gifts for everyone on your list.

Atlas Obscura's Weird and Wonderful 2022 Wishlist

A series of gift guides for the curiosity-seekers in your life.

Atlas Obscura December 5, 2022