Industry Overview

Asia - A Land of Diversified Handicrafts
Asia has rich cultured countries like India, China. Due to diversities in arts and crafts, all the products from Asian continents are rich in color and texture. Several establishments are engaged in manufacturing of pottery, ceramics, clay pieces, paintings, sculptures, metal craft, antique furniture, antique jewelry, gems and stones, textiles, paper craft, toys, leather based products. Apart from earning revenue, these industries provide additional employment to the people living in both rural and urban areas. The global handicrafts industry accounts for a market share of more than US$100 billion.

Products Exported from Asia
Ceramics: It is one of the traditional arts of making different products such as earthenware, porcelain, tiles, cookware, dinnerware etc with the help of clay. India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, China, Iran, and UAE are the leading Asian countries in producing ceramics based articles.

Glass Crafts: Crafts such as glass blowing, glass bead making, glass paintings, hand painted glassware are the off springs of glass crafts. India, China, Iran, Iraq and Lebanon are at the forefront in producing glass crafts items.

Leather Crafts: Leather craft also has an important role in exporting goods from Asian countries to to the other parts of the world. Activities such as leather carving, leather painting, leather-stamping etc. are done under leather crafts. The dominant Asian countries are China, Korea, Thailand, India, Nepal and Bangladesh.

Wood Crafts: Wood has always been an integral part of mankind. Different techniques have been implemented in wood crafts. Skilled artisans are involved in woodcarving, woodworking, wood burning etc. Thailand being the chief producer of Lacquer ware, which is made of woven bamboo or wood and coated with lacquer along with exquisite designs. Both China and Nepal are famous for their exquisite architecture made up of carved wood. Sri Lanka is famous for its wooden polychrome masks while India dominates in the wide range of woodcraft items.

Stone Crafts: The art or skill to make beautiful objects into the face of natural stones. China is famous for the wide range of stone-carved miniature artifacts and jewelry made up of rarest stones. Thailand, though small in size yet the leading producer of high-grade gemstones and jewelry in the world.

Metal Crafts: It also contains a wide range of fashionable objects like metal jewelry, metal utensils, silver ware, brassware and metal statues etc. India, Bhutan, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka are the leading producer and exporter of metal crafts products to the world.

Europe -A Land of Private Enterprises
Europe is proud of 25.3 million non-primary private enterprises, out of which 99.8% are craft and small and medium-sized enterprises. Trading of craft items are one of the successful business of the European countries. More than 66% of Europe's workforce i.e. around 98 million people are engaged in craft related industries.

Products Exported from Europe
Ceramics: It includes a range of objects such as earthenware, porcelain, clay tiles, dinnerware etc. manufactured with fired clay. The leading exporters of Europe are Germany, United Kingdom, Italy and France.

Leather Crafts: Europe has always been praised for intricate leather works. Among the European countries, Italy, Turkey, France, Russia, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovenia are the producers of leather products.

Bead Work: This craft emerged in middle ages as one of the decorative crafts in Europe. It is known as delicate art. United Kingdom is dominating rest of the other European countries in producing glass beads and Jewelry.

Needle Crafts: Famous for a wide range of techniques such as appliqué, crewel embroidery, crochet, cross stitch, knitting, patchwork, quilting etc. England, Germany, Sweden, Russia and Spain are at the prominent places in producing different type of laces such as needle worked lace, bobbin lace. Germany, France, Belgium and Italy are the leading exporters of Europe.

Jewelry: It has been the weakness of women as a whole. It may be made up of different types of metals, gemstones, stones etc. Spain, France, Italy and Germany are the top four Jewelery manufacturing and exporting countries in Europe.

Australia - A Land of Cottage Industries
The Australia and New Zealand's craft industry is a bunch of many cottage industries. Ceramic arts and crafts, jade jewelry, decorative hand blown glass, jewelry & paper crafts are the key products exported from Australia and New Zealand.

As per the report, the Australian government is spending nearly A$6.3 million per annum in arts and crafts industry. Australia has seen an enormous growth in handicrafts industry over the past few years. The total export in the music, publishing, indigenous art and decorative arts was A$300 million (2006).

Products Exported from Australia
Ceramics: Though, Australia is the smallest continent in the world, yet it exports quality ceramic glasses, pottery, fired bricks/blocks, ceramic dinnerware, ceramic-framed mirrors etc.

Jewelry: Diamond and gemstone accounted 90 per cent of revenue valued at A$684 million in 2005-06. Australia is one of the world's leading exporters of White South Sea pearls, diamonds, opals and sapphires.

Gift Ware: These items from Australia and New Zealand are famous in the world. This industry comprises home wares, wooden toys and games made from native timbers, natural cosmetics etc. New Zealand is the front runner in exporting gift ware items to Australia, USA, United Kingdom, Japan and Germany.

America - Largest Market in the World
It would not be an exaggeration to say that American craft market is one of the biggest and most important in the contemporary markets for craft in the world. The art & craft industry in United States accounts for about US$13.8 billion. Being the largest market in the world, this industry employs more than 127000 people.

The craft industry of Canada is also highly diversified. It comprises of individual craft persons, studios, enterprises, media guilds, public and private galleries and industrial organizations. It accounts for over $100 million exports and employs about 22,597 persons in art and crafts sectors.

Products Exported from America & Canada
Ceramics: Ceramics refers to artwork prepared with the help of clay bodies resulting into hardened ceramic form. America is the leading producer of brick, roofing tile, clay floor and walls tiles, flue linings, dinnerware, sanitary ware, electrical porcelain, decorative ceramics, flat glass, glass fibers etc.

Glass Work: It consists of a wide range of activities such as glass bead making, glass blowing, glass fusing etc. Paperweights manufactured and exported from Canada is famous world wide.

Jewelry: America is also famous for Jewellery works. Native American silver Jewellery occupies a dominant position in the American Jewellery industry. Silver jewelry manufactured at Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado are exceptional in design.

Bead Work: The contemporary American bead works are depicted on handbags, pouches, clothing, moccasins, etc. Arizona, Montana and Dakotas are all famous for producing bead-based objects. American bead-works are great in demand.