Tombolo Piemontese / Merletto a Tombolo
The making of lace by weaving and crossing multiple threads wound on bobbins, worked on a stuffed cylindrical cushion (tombolo) with pins defining the pattern, producing geometric and floral lace in a tradition associated with the towns of Canelli, Asti, and the Monferrato area of Piedmont.
Risk level: Endangered · No listing
An ancient tradition of unglazed and slip-decorated terracotta from Basilicata — including functional ware, decorative objects, and the characteristic fischietti (clay whistles in animal and human form) — rooted in the region's pre-Greek…
A silk weaving tradition in Calabria — historically among Italy's primary silk-producing regions — producing plain silks, damasks, and velvets on hand looms, sustained by mulberry cultivation along the Ionian coast, and now a critically…
The bobbin lace tradition of Pescocostanzo in the Abruzzo highlands — among the highest-altitude lace-making centers in Italy, producing a distinctive style that reflects the town's geographic isolation and the resulting development of…
A tradition of basket and hat weaving from the coastal and inland areas of Lazio — using rush, straw, and willow from the Pontine plain, the Tiber valley, and the coastal marshes — producing domestic baskets, hats, and decorative objects…
A tradition of tin-glazed earthenware from the volcanic landscape north of Rome — Viterbo, Civita Castellana, and the Monti Cimini area — producing maiolica that reflects the region's Etruscan, Roman, and Renaissance ceramic heritage,…
A tradition of fine furniture making in Rome — producing Baroque and Empire-style pieces in walnut, ebony, and gilded wood for the palace and ecclesiastical interiors of the Centro Storico — sustained by Rome's extraordinary concentration…
The technique of majboud, a gold-thread embroidery worked over a leather template, practiced by craftsmen of Constantine, eastern Algeria, and formally recognized by UNESCO in December 2024 as part of the inscription 'The women's…
The calado — drawn thread embroidery of the Canary Islands — is a distinctive needle lace and drawn thread work tradition that combines withdrawn-thread openwork with needle-woven infill patterns.
The making of Plauener Spitze — the chemically-ground-out machine embroidery that made Plauen the European center of lace production from the 1880s onward, after the invention of the Ätzspitze (chemical lace) process: an underlying fabric…
Kalaga (ကာလဂါ) is the Burmese tradition of producing large embroidered and appliqué wall hangings depicting scenes from the Jataka tales, royal court narratives, and mythological subjects — used to decorate Buddhist temples, royal…
Beeralu (බීරළු) is Sri Lanka's bobbin lace tradition — introduced by Portuguese traders in the 16th century and now so thoroughly naturalized that it is considered a distinctly Sri Lankan craft, concentrated in the coastal communities of…
Bobbin lace (renda de bilros) from the Minho and Centro regions of Portugal — a tradition with two distinct centers: Viana do Castelo and Barcelos (Minho) for the floral geometric Minhota vocabulary; and Peniche (Centro) for the more…