Bearers of the tradition of folks crafts 2009 

2009 Bearers of the Tradition of Folk Crafts

 Božena Habartová (*1964) is one of the few tailors of men‘s folk costumes who, during their apprenticeship in the Slovač folk crafts cooperative, had the opportunity to work with traditional makers of folk costumes, and gain experience and knowledge from them. Traditional folk costume manufacture is not only a matter of dressmaking experience, which was acquired by Mrs Habartová at the Vocational Training School in Vizovice and during a three-year additional study in Brno. Also important is knowledge of the cut of the traditional parts of clothing, choice of materials and colours, and tailor-style embroidery including its special patterns. She gradually learned all this knowledge from masters of traditional manufacture, who included tailors F. Mikulec and J. Borek, embroideresses D. Fryčová, M. Badinová and others. She amply used her experience in making costumes for folk song and dance ensembles from Moravia and Slovakia, folk costume groups in neighbouring villages, and individuals who ordered the products from the Slovač cooperative. After the workshop closed down, she founded her own business and continued to make folk costumes for customers from her district.
As well-established and experienced workshops producing ethnographically faithful replicas of folk costumes with quality craftsmanship have now ceased to exist, the work of Mrs Božena Habartová is very important. Her person combines traditional production with contemporary experience and knowledge, and above all with the enthusiasm to continue her work and make folk costumes. She is passing on her knowledge mainly to her daughters, who are helping her to fulfil her contracts. Mrs Habartova’s work is recorded in one of the parts of the encyclopaedia Folk Crafts and Folk Art Production in the Czech Republic - Textile Techniques IV, part 8.

Karel Hanák (*1960) is one of the best contemporary makers of majolica and faience pottery of the ”Haban“ type in the Czech Republic. His products are offered on both domestic and foreign markets. He never stopped his pottery making even in the difficult years after the disintegration of the distribution network of the former Centre for Folk Art Production (ÚLUV).
He gained the first experience with majolica in the workshop of F.Němec at Ratíškovice and later with J.Neduchal at Dubňany, where he was trained as a wheel thrower and majolica painter. He increased his theoretical knowledge at the Industrial Arts School in Uherské Hradiště, where he specialised in pottery and plastic arts. After completing his military service period, he took a job at the Dubňany workshop, where he was first a wheel thrower and then a foreman. In this position he also designed new patterns and ornamentation and tried to apply the decorative elements of the Haban-type faience in them. When the workshop was abolished in 1993, he launched his own operation and is carrying on his work up to the present time.
Haban-type faience manufacture is based on historical and popularised models handed down by the German-speaking sect of Anabaptists, who settled in Moravia in the 16th and early 17th century. Their products inspired many workshops throughout the 20th century, but quality replicas have been rather rare and no one has attempted a complete range of their products. Karel Hanák’s acquaintance with the production was gradual, he gained his first experience as wheel-thrower and later painter of majolica, but later he studied also literature and especially the surviving historical pieces. Thanks to this he has revived not only the complete range of shapes, but also ornamentation and colours. His works are now appreciated at home as well as abroad, where they are sought by both collectors and museums which enrich with them their historical expositions as well as permanent exhibitions.

Ladislav Chládek (*1944) is currently the only craftsman specialising in the technology of manufacture of toys split from a turned wooden block. In the past, the technology was used on both the Czech and German sides of the Ore Mountains. While it still survives in the village of Seiffen, on the Czech side it ended with the transfer of the German speaking population, and its renewal is now coming with Ladislav Chládek. He became acquainted with the production technology in the early 1980’s, when Jarmila Jeřábková, a leading artist at the Centre for Folk Art Production (ÚLUV), won him over for its renewal. With her help he began to study preserved toys and descriptions of manufacture, and eventually revived the technology. Originally he supplied the toys to the ÚLUV network of shops and, after the Centre ceased to exist, also to private shops, and is offering them himself at various arts and crafts markets.
The manufacture of toys split from turned blocks is a technology specific only to a limited area not found nowadays anywhere else in the territory of the Czech Republic. The toy making starts with the choice of a suitable block of wood. It is turned into a hollow ring with a relief already showing the shape of the toy. The most frequent inspirations are animals and birds. After the turning, the ring is cut and the flat pieces which already have the shape of toys are split from its perimeter. This is followed by grinding, fitting of wheels, and final wax or oil finish treatment that helps to preserve the toys‘ natural appearance.

Vít Kašpařík (*1970) is one of the few manufacturers building folk musical instruments. His interest in this production was inspired by his father Jan Kašpařík, a keen researcher, organiser and manufacturer of historical musical instruments. Thanks to him, Vít was at home from his youth among well-known organologists such as Ludvík Kunz and Pavel Kurfürst, and also builders of musical instruments, with whom he still cooperates today. After completing vocational school of metallurgy, he extended his education as a blacksmith and took several jobs in succession. Initially, he made pipes only occasionally for his friends and colleagues, but as he became convinced about their quality and the possibility of sale, he started a systematic production. Nowadays he manufactures several types of folk pipes and clarinets, flutes, reed oboe and bone whistles. He has also successfully built folk fiddles, basses, lutes and bagpipes.
Vít Kašpařik produces musical instruments exclusively from natural materials. This means most often the naturally grown branches of maples, oaks, poplars, hazels, and elder trees. He cuts the wood in winter, leaves it to dry, and then works it. First of all he removes the bark (if the wood is not to be used for a rustic elder flute), and bores the air tube of the future pipe. Then he cuts the mouth hole, the opening with oblique sides hit by air blown over the reed. This is where the first tones of the instrument originate. The final tone of the instrument depends on the length of the pipe and the number of finger holes. It is deepened from the deepest to the highest tones and eventually the holes are smoothed. The final treatment of the pipe’s surface is by immersion in linseed or paraffin oil.

František Mikyška (*1949) is currently one of a few surviving axmen - producers of watermill wheels and sets. He learned the craft at home, as he was born at a small mill where the miller had to do all maintenance and repairs by himself. Gradually he learned from his father all the skills needed for the maintenance and repairs of milling gear, and widened his knowledge of wood working also as a construction technician. Cooperation with the National Institute for Monument Conservation in the restoration of equipment at the family mill and its dilapidated wheel was crucial for his future. From 1988, working with Luděk Štěpán, he started to produce overshot wheels, and later also undershot wheels, first in his native Sedlčany district and subsequently also in several dozen other localities of the Czech Republic.
He gradually achieved such craftsmanship that he now has mastery of all the manufacturing procedures needed to make a water wheel, stone nut, gear and frame. He can design and produce a milling basket, a splint and flour box, as well as a headrace and sluice gate. He uses traditional wooden nail and keyed tenon joints, shrunk-on collars, wooden bearings and other items essential for quality work.
His followers in the family are his two sons, both trained cabinet makers, who help him with his work for the customers. He regularly participates in the craftsmen’s meetings at Veselý Kopec and in the Milevsko Municipal Museum. Mr Mikyška presents his work at his family mill where he has established a small museum of the axman’s craft.  

Bearers of the Tradition of Folk Crafts in 2008

• František Pavlica (*1971)
• Pavel Číp (*1944)
• Marie Skrežinová (*1944)
• Eva Minksová (*1940)
• Ludmila Dominová (*1948)

Bearers of the Tradition of Folk Crafts in 2007

• Rozálie Blažková (*1941) Nesvady,  weaving from maize husks
• Hana Buchtelová (*1961) Malá Vrbka, Linen weaving
• Iveta Dandová (*1963) Mnichovo Hradiště, processing of reed mace
• Blanka Mikolajková (*1960), Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, framework knitting
• František Tureček (*1928), Tvrdonice, The shoemaking 

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Bearers of the Tradition of Folk Crafts in 2006

• Josef Hruška ( *1941), Valašské Meziříčí - blacksmith technologies
• Jaroslav Sucháček st. (*1936), Lhota u Vsetína, manufacture of sharpening stones
• Ludmila Kočišová (*1931), Vnorovy - processing of maize husks
• Dana Ptáčková (*1950), Morkovice - basket makers
• Miloslava Zatloukalová (*1959), Brodek u Konice - straw plaiting
  

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Bearers of the Tradition of Folk Crafts in 2005

• Josef Janulík, Josefov, for the manufacture of folk footwear
• Drahomír Smejkal, Jihlava, for manual manufacture of files and rasps
• Jiří Ondřej, Zubří, for the manufacture of birch brooms.

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Bearers of the Tradition of Folk Crafts in 2004

• František Joch from Strážnice - blue print on fabrics
• Štefan Kanaloš from Ostrava – wood chiselling
• Jiří Myška from Hlinsko – hatchet work
• Jarmila Oharková from Tišnov – hand weaving

Bearers of the Tradition of Folk Crafts in 2003

• Josef Kopčan from Valašská Bystřice - woodworkin by adze and axe
• Zdeněk Kubák - traditional weaving of fabrics
• Oldřich Kvapil from Hořice - carver of gingerbread cutters
• Milan Macho from Suchdol nad Lužnicí - basket-splint weaving
• Petr Stoklasa from Velké Karlovice - wooden doves manufacture

Bearers of the Tradition of Folk Crafts in 2002

• Zdeněk Bukáček, Krouna - wood-turned toys
• Jiří Danzinger, Olešnice na Moravě - traditional blue and white printing
• Jana Juřicová, Vigantice - white embroidery
• Ivo Nimrichter, Kyjov - black pottery
• Miloslav Trefanec, Klatovy - Čínov - traditional blacksmith´s craft

Bearers of the Tradition of Folk Crafts in 2001

• Antonín Moštěk, Vlčnov - the ceramic workshop, the historical Faience
• Stanislav Štěpánek, Morkovice - basket making
• Ladislav Rejent, Proseč u Skutče - wood carving and turning
• Rudolf Volf, Koloveč - the pottery manufacture
• Jiří Drhovský, Zvěřkovice - wood-carved toys