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Arts and Crafts

The Clown Egg Registry contains dozens of eggs and is a way to ensure that the likeness of no two clowns are identical.

Europe

How Do You Copyright a Clown Face? Paint It On an Egg

Since the 1940s, eggs have been the canvas of choice for registering performers’ unique makeup designs

This silk velvet ikat robe was made specifically for a woman, as evidenced by the pinched waist. Velvet ikats were considered top-of-the-line, the Freer|Sackler's Massumeh Farhad explains, because two rows of weft were needed instead of the usual one.

How the Technicolor Ikat Designs of Central Asia Thread Into Textile History

A new Smithsonian exhibition sheds light on the rich backstory of an oft-imitated tradition

Undated photo provided by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shows fake Native American styled-jewelry seized by federal officials during a 2015 investigation in New Mexico.

Trending Today

Investigators Crack Down on Fraudulent Native American Jewelry

In April, Albuquerque jewelry dealer Nael Ali is set to be sentenced under the 1935 Indian Arts and Crafts Act

At Sisian Ceramics, Vahagn Hambardzumyan throws clay on a wheel to make traditional Armenian shapes onto which Zara Gasparyan etches decorative patterns. The terracotta jugs on the left are made to hold water.

Armenia

The Art of Armenian Pottery Will Be on Display at This Summer’s Smithsonian Folklife Festival

The artists behind Sisian Ceramics create works evocative of the Armenian landscape

Three-Room Dwelling (detail) by Frances Glessner Lee, about 1944-46

Home Is Where the Corpse Is—at Least in These Dollhouse Crime Scenes

Frances Glessner Lee’s “Nutshell Studies” exemplify the intersection of forensic science and craft

An unknown woman spinning, circa 1900.

‘Spinster’ and ‘Bachelor’ Were, Until 2005, Official Terms for Single People

Being single is hard enough without these pejoratives.

Soldier’s Patchwork with Incredible Border, artist unidentified, India, 1855 (pre-1881)

Cool Finds

The Centuries-Old Tradition of Military Quilting Is Getting Its First Exhibition in the U.S.

The display celebrates the art and craft of soldiers at war and offers insight into life in the military

Moby Dick (1956), Antonio Fernández Reboiro
, Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematográficos (ICAIC), 1968


The Cuban Government Brought New Life to Hollywood Movies With These Vivid Posters

The U.S. embargo didn’t keep Cubans from watching movies they loved

Photograph of YInMn Blue as synthesized in the laboratory.

Crayola to Debut Crayon Inspired by New Shade of Blue

The YInMn pigment was accidentally discovered by a chemist in 2009

Soon, Lucy Sparrow will open a full NYC bodega filled with only felt food.

Cool Finds

These Groceries Are Made of Felt

And artist Lucy Sparrow is opening an entire bodega full of them

Vessel (#2309) by June Schwarcz, 2006, electroplated copper foil and enamel, gold plated

The Innovative Spirit fy17

Artist June Schwarcz Electroplated and Sandblasted Her Way Into Art Museums and Galleries

The Renwick hosts a 60-year career retrospective for the innovative California enamelist

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: Cuba

Lime Marinade, Cohiba Cigar Cases and Other Unique Gifts You Can Buy in Cuba

How the Thinnest Burmese Gold Leaf Is Made

In Burma, goldworking skills have been passed down over generations

"Everything is awesome," Lego executives might as well be singing.

North America Is Crazy For Lego Toys and the Manufacturer Can’t Keep Up

The bricks keep kids and adults coming back for more

"Fading Thoughts" by Andrew Myers

Please Touch the Art: This Artist Creates Tactile Portraits for the Blind

Andrew Myers uses screws to make 3-D masterpieces for curious fingers

The sensuous curves and subtle walnut grain of Maloof's rocker just seem to beckon and say “Come on in a sit a while.”

Famous for His Rocking Chair, Sam Maloof Made Furniture That Had Soul

A centennial appreciation for this master of mid-century modernism is underway with a California exhibition and an upcoming seminar

Tara Locklear makes jewelry using recycled skateboards.

Calling All Those in the Market for Skateboard Jewelry, Czech Marionettes or Other Quirky Crafts

The annual Smithsonian Craft Show features 120 of the best craft artisans from around the country

Pile of yarn or unknotting opportunity?

Cool Finds

Tied Up in Knots? Call a Yarn Detangler

A niche group of knitters specializes in wrangling disobedient skeins

Katya and Blanca Canto pose with their carved gourds at their home in Cochas Grande.

A Look Behind the Peruvian Art of Gourd Carving

With magnificent hand carvings, artisans craft stories of celebration and tragedy into dried gourds—a tradition practiced for more than 4,000 years

The Birth of Eve by Judith Schaechter, 2013 was recently added to the collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Renwick Gallery.

This Stained Glass Window, New to the American Art Museum, Is Like Nothing You’ve Ever Seen Before

Artist Judith Schaechter is pushing the boundaries of her craft, adding her own twist to age-old techniques

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