Growing Interest In Handmade Goods

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31082, 10 June 1966, Page 2

Growing Interest In Handmade Goods

New Zealand arts and crafts are now finding a ready sale at home and abroad—defying the oft-heard claim that this country has little indigenous culture and its people scant interest in local arts.

Handmade articles ranging from jewellery and clothing to furniture are tooled with a high degree of skill. Some visitors from overseas say New Zealand crafts are the best made and most imaginative they have seen.

Supporting this claim is a Californian, Mr Dean Howe, who, with his wife Lynne, has just opened up an arts and crafts shop in Riccarton—another in the growing number of shops catering for the demand for native handcrafts. “New Zealand crafts are as good as, and often better than, a lot of the work I have seen overseas. Although we have the attraction of Navajo work we want to build up the local side for that’s where the demand is,” Mr Howe said.

While people are attracted by the brilliantly coloured Indian runners and the strange' shapes of the jewellery. they eventually buy locally made goods—it seems that imported products are no longer the most coveted The variety seems almost endless. A fascinating selection of hand-knitted handbags, knee socks and matching hat sit side by side with softly coloured delicate ceramic

beads, table mats with Maori motifs, and copper rings in many Christchurch shops. Many New Zealand craftsmen are now finding a lucrative outlet for their work. Mr and Mrs Howe have a steady stream of goods coming into their shop from artisans who also sell to businesses throughout the country. Steady Trade Huntly Cutten, a 17-year-old pupil of Christchurch Boys’ High School, has become quite a businessman during the last year or so. Orders from several stores for his jewellery, which he makes from New Zealand gem stones with copper settings, keep him busy in his spare time. Ten years ago Huntly was shown a piece of fossilised shale found on the West Coast Since then collecting stones has been his hobby, which has now expanded to making jewellery. Making copper rings at school was the start of this venture. Gradually Huntly began to incorporate the stones he had collected and after selling some of his early efforts to friends he decided to explore the commercial market

The stones used for jewellery are collected from Birdlings Flat and washed and polished in equipment which Huntly has constructed in the “back shed.”

He designs the copper settings for rings, pendants and bracelets, which are often intricate and original. Designs worked out on paper often have to be adapted as he works. • Colour And Shape “When I am collecting i stones the colour catches my eye first,” he said “Then I consider the size, shape—l don’t cut the stones at all—and the condition. River or sea-washed stones are most suitable for jewellery, others take too long to polish.” Huntly hopes to go on to university and study for a B.Sc. in geology. Study for University Entrance this year means that he cannot spend as much z time as he would like on his hobby, but he considers, it will help him financially' during his years at university. “One day when I have more time I am going to work on one piece and perfect it,” he said.

“Home grown” arts and crafts now seem to have a permanent and enriching place in the New Zealand home, and have ceased to be merely interesting novelties sent overseas as Christmas presents.

The picture shows Huntly Cutten at work on his collection of stones.