From 1645 to 1897, Crete was under Turkish domination and iron imports were controlled once more as a strategic raw material.
Crete is a land that has been troubled by foreign occupiers for centuries. Its inhabitants never stopped fighting for survival and the preservation of their national and cultural identity on the one hand, and creating, expressing themselves, developing and conserving local tradition on the other.
Cultural heritage, the local natural environment, political and economic circumstances all give rise to solutions to the major problems of life, culminating in artistic expression, which is a way of life in itself.
The simple people who learnt to work the materials to hand and turn them into useful tools were creators. Using their own tools and inventing others, they laboured not only to construct items but to decorate and embellish them. Local craftsmen, inheritors of ancient memories, contributed to the preservation and transmission of traditional elements through their works. Their art and diligence are reflected in their harmonious and tasteful creations.
Although Cretan metalworkers did not have unlimited supplies at their disposal, they used the available materials to meet everyday needs, mainly agricultural implements and knives, which constitute a great tradition in Cretan folk art.
|
