Skilled craftspeople who make things by hand, typically producing decorative or functional objects.
From Old French artisan, derived from arte (art) from Latin ars, artis. The word entered English in the 16th century during the Renaissance when skilled craftsmanship was highly valued in European guilds.
Artisans represent the beautiful intersection of art and utility - they're not just artists creating for beauty's sake, but practical creators whose work serves daily life. The word carries a romantic nostalgia for pre-industrial times when every useful object bore the unique mark of its maker's hands.
Historically, 'artisan' and 'craftsman' were male-coded terms; women's skilled textile and craft work was often unmarked or classified as domestic labor rather than artisanal mastery.
Use 'artisans' or 'craftspeople' to encompass all practitioners. When possible, credit women artisans by name in historical contexts.
["craftspeople","makers","skilled practitioners"]
Women maintained complex textile, ceramic, and metalwork traditions across cultures—often uncredited in art historical records. Modern scholarship increasingly centers women artisans.
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