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Craft families
Fifteen families cover almost all of world handicraft trade. Each behaves differently on price, tolerance, compliance and shipping, so the family is the right first decision — before country, before supplier.
Handloom & Textile Crafts
Cloth made on hand-operated looms is the largest single family of handicraft trade, and the hardest to buy blind.
Craft familyEmbroidery & Needlework
Hand embroidery is priced by stitch time, not by cloth.
Craft familyHandmade Carpets & Rugs
Hand-knotted, hand-tufted, flatweave and felted floor coverings form a trade with its own vocabulary: knot density, pile height, warp material, wash and finish.
Craft familyPottery & Ceramics
Wheel-thrown, hand-built, slip-cast and press-moulded ceramics reach world markets as tableware, garden ware, tiles and decorative objects.
Craft familyMetalware & Brassware
Brass, copper, bell metal, pewter, wrought iron and silver-plated goods are shaped by casting, sheet raising, spinning, repousse and engraving.
Craft familyWoodcraft & Carving
Carved panels, turned bowls, inlaid boxes, furniture components and architectural salvage all sit in this family.
Craft familyStone & Marble Craft
Hand-carved stone reaches buyers as inlay table tops, sculpture, garden ware, architectural elements and small giftware.
Craft familyHandmade Jewellery & Beadwork
Silver, brass, beaded, enamelled, filigree and tribal jewellery move in very high volume and under very tight regulation.
Craft familyLeather Craft
Hand-stitched bags, footwear, saddlery, bound books and embossed decorative leather form a category where the tannery matters as much as the artisan.
Craft familyCane, Bamboo & Basketry
Woven plant fibre is the most widely practised craft on earth and the least standardised.
Craft familyPaper Craft & Papier-Mâché
Handmade paper, papier-mache objects, paper cutting, quilling, marbling and hand-bound stationery form a light, high-margin export family with unusually low freight cost per unit.
Craft familyLacquerware & Painted Wood
True lacquer, shellac turnery, painted folk furniture and decorated wooden objects sit at the meeting point of woodcraft and painting.
Craft familyGlass Craft & Beadmaking
Blown, lampworked, fused, etched and stained glass reach markets as tableware, lighting, beads and architectural panels.
Craft familyHandmade Toys & Dolls
Wooden toys, cloth dolls, puppets, spinning tops and folk figures carry the strictest safety regime in the whole craft economy.
Craft familyRitual & Devotional Objects
Icons, statues, incense holders, prayer objects, masks and ceremonial textiles form a trade that runs on cultural accuracy as much as on craftsmanship.