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The Depository documents 6 techniques in Haiti; by risk level: 5 vulnerable, 1 stable. Each record opens with a public summary; the full research record is free to view once registered.
The hand-cutting, hammering, and embossing of recycled 55-gallon steel oil drums into intricate relief sculptures and wall panels, centered on the Noailles quarter of Croix-des-Bouquets, on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince.
The hand-sewing of sequins, beads, and appliqué onto fabric to create drapo — ceremonial flags used in Haitian Vodou to honor specific lwa (spirits), traditionally carried at the opening of ceremonies and displayed in the ounfò (temple).
The small-scale, family-run distillation of clairin (kleren in Haitian Creole, meaning 'clear') from fresh, hand-harvested sugarcane juice, practiced at over 500 small rural distilleries (gildives/guildives) across Haiti with minimal…
A largely self-taught, untrained painting tradition rendering Haitian rural life, history, and — most distinctively — Vodou spiritual imagery in bold, flat color and intuitive composition, catalyzed institutionally by Le Centre d'Art, an…
The weaving of bamboo or straw strips into mesh-pattern baskets, mats, rope, cord, hats, and the traditional makout satchel — a woven carrying bag long used by Haitian market women and rural farmers.
The molding of starch-hardened paper into elaborate carnival masks, figures, and full-body costumes — animals (crocodiles, jaguars, tigers, dragons), celebrities, and political figures — centered on the seaside town of Jacmel, founded by…