I have got some questions from guests about where to buy artisan, artigianale, pieces and although it is so common here, it is not entirely easy to answer.
In every other home, there are above all women who still perform different kinds of crafts, but it rarely reaches a market and stays in the family as heirlooms or is given away as gifts.
The crafts have traditionally been part of the trading culture in Sardinia, where in some villages a specialty has been developed which is then exchanged for a specialty from another village. Carpets are woven in some villages, in other they paint and so on. Of course, this has diminished with industrialism but still lives on in Sardinia, and especially in the older population. (In Cuglieri, it is usually food stuff, olive oil, cheese, home-made wine.) Therefore, it is actually easiest to find crafts in the gift shops at the airports or at museums, if you just want to buy it. Otherwise, you have to find your way around and often meet the artisans. Here are a few tips from the neighbourhood.
In the small village of Tinnura near Cuglieri, baskets have traditionally been woven. If you go there in the evening, the women sit outside their garages where they have their traditional wicker baskets for sale.
Oristano has traditionally had a lot of ceramics and there are several ceramics workshops. We have visited Studio Luce Buio that is shared by three very talented potters and where their ceramics are for sale, if you call in advance. The picture above show en example of their art, but they also do smaller domestic pieces.
In Cuglieri, Salvatore Agus makes massive chopping boards out of olive wood in his garage, which he sells. His garage is, by the way, an exhibition of old handmade tools and the like, worth a visit by itself. You'll probably get a mug of his homemade wine while watching. (334 381 5029 )
Daniele Careddu and Gianfranco Puddu at Stone Art have done all the interior stonework in our house. They have a laboratorio, a workshop, with an exhibition of some of their work in Abbasanta. Contact Daniele before you leave to make sure the workshop is open. He only speaks Italian.
Samugheo is a traditional textile village. Mariantonia Urru can make both traditional Sardinian textiles and cooperate with modern designers to create improvisations on old patterns. Nowadays, Mariantonia’s son Giuseppe has taken over the running of the company. He speaks Italian and a little English and can be reached at tel: 3493275353
Pina Corriga makes plates, vases, lamps, and such like. Rooted in Sardinian traditions, she has developed her own style. If you visit her, she can show you how she creates things on her pottery wheel.
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