A Digitally Enhanced Ethnography for Craft Action and Process Understanding
Abstract
:1. Introduction
1.1. Overview
1.2. Observation
1.3. Contributions of This Work
2. Related Work
2.1. Digitization of Endurants
2.1.1. Photographic Digitization
2.1.2. Three-Dimensional Digitization
2.2. Digitization of Perdurants
2.2.1. Audiovisual Digitization
2.2.2. Digitization of Sensory Experience
2.3. Kinematic Digitization
2.3.1. Images
2.3.2. Video
2.3.3. MoCap
2.3.4. Transformations
2.3.5. Environment Recordings
2.4. Craft Documentation Technologies
2.4.1. Observation Tools
2.4.2. Representation
3. Proposed Method
3.1. Fundamental Concepts
3.2. Overview of the Proposed Method
4. Method Analysis
4.1. Ethnographic Preparation and Fieldwork Planning
4.1.1. Background Research
4.1.2. Multimodal Glossary for Craft Documentation
4.1.3. Action Selection, Definition, and Identification
4.1.4. Documentation of Process Structure
4.1.5. Personal Context
4.1.6. Relationship Building and Ethical Engagement
4.2. Recording
4.2.1. Materials and Objects
Materials
Objects
4.2.2. Dynamic Entities
Stills
Practitioners’ Motion
Environment Audio/Video
Transformations of Material
4.2.3. Data Management
4.3. Analysis and Representation
4.3.1. Data Import
4.3.2. Parsing—Segmentation of Craft Routines
4.3.3. Video Elicitation
- What are the characteristics of the action performed?
- Is the action recording accurate and in accordance with the action you perform in your daily practice? Do you observe any deviations due to the usage of capturing equipment?
- What are the gestures that comprise this specific action?
- What is the variability of the gestures from one practitioner to another?
- Are there other actions in which this gesture is used?
- What kind of tools are used, and what are their characteristics?
4.3.4. Representation of a Craft
5. Use Cases
5.1. Use Case Selection
5.2. Mechanical Characterization of Use Cases
6. In-Depth Analysis of Porcelain Use Case
6.1. Ethnographic Preparation and Fieldwork Planning for the Porcelain Making Case
6.1.1. Background Research for the Porcelain Making Case
6.1.2. Multimodal Glossary for Craft Documentation for the Porcelain Making Case
6.1.3. Action Selection, Definition, and Identification
6.1.4. Documentation of Process Structure for the Porcelain Making Case
6.1.5. Personal Context for the Porcelain Making Case
6.2. Recording for the Porcelain Making Case
6.2.1. Material and Objects
6.2.2. Dynamic Entities of the Porcelain Making Case
6.2.3. Environment Audio
6.2.4. Data Management of the Porcelain Making Case
6.3. Analysis and Representation for the Porcelain Making Case
6.3.1. Data Import for the Porcelain Making Case
6.3.2. Parsing
6.3.3. Video Elicitation for the Porcelain Making Case
6.3.4. Representation for the Porcelain Making Case
6.3.5. Binding Representation to FEM-Based Simulations
7. Closing Remarks
7.1. Enhancements to Traditional Ethnography
7.2. Future Work
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
3D | Three-dimensional |
4D | Four-dimensional |
AAT | Art & Architecture Thesaurus |
CH | Cultural Heritage |
CIDOC-CRM | International Committee for Documentation—Conceptual Reference Model |
FEM | Finite Element Method |
GPS | Global Positioning System |
LCT | Life Course Theory |
MoCap | Motion Capture |
MOP | Mingei Online Platform |
OCR | Optical Character Recognition |
RGB-D | Red, green, blue, and depth (depth-sensing camera) |
UNESCO | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization |
VR | Virtual Reality |
References
- Mauss, M. Manuel d’Ethnographie; Éditions Payot: Paris, France, 1967. [Google Scholar]
- Atkinson, P. The Ethnographic Imagination; Routledge: London, UK, 1990. [Google Scholar]
- Atkinson, P. The Ethnographic Imagination: Textual Constructions of Reality; Routledge: London, UK, 2014. [Google Scholar]
- Vannini, P.; Vannini, A. Artisanal ethnography: Notes on the making of ethnographic craft. Qual. Inq. 2020, 26, 865–874. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Atkinson, P. Blowing Hot: The ethnography of craft and the craft of ethnography. Qual. Inq. 2013, 19, 397–404. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Konstantinou, K.; Anagnostopoulos, A. Interweaving contemporary art and “traditional” crafts in ethnographic research. Art/Res. Int. A Transdiscip. J. 2019, 4, 58–82. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Zabulis, X.; Partarakis, N.; Meghini, C.; Dubois, A.; Manitsaris, S.; Hauser, H.; Thalmann, N.M.; Ringas, C.; Panesse, L.; Cadi, N.; et al. A representation protocol for traditional crafts. Heritage 2022, 5, 716–741. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Arp, R.; Smith, B.; Spear, A. Building Ontologies with Basic Formal Ontology; MIT Press: Cambridge, MA, USA, 2015. [Google Scholar]
- Gibson, J. The Senses Considered as Perceptual Systems; Houghton Mifflin: Boston, MA, USA, 1966. [Google Scholar]
- Scheps, S. Business Intelligence for Dummies; John Wiley & Sons: Hoboken, NJ, USA, 2008. [Google Scholar]
- Mäki, T.; Kerosuo, H. Site managers’ daily work and the uses of building information modelling in construction site management. Constr. Manag. Econ. 2015, 33, 163–175. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kvale, S.; Brinkmann, S. Interviews: Learning the Craft of Qualitative Research Interviewing; Sage: Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, 2009. [Google Scholar]
- Ingold, T. Making: Anthropology, Archaeology, Art and Architecture; Routledge: London, UK, 2013. [Google Scholar]
- Jocelyne, E. Methodological Guide to the Collection of Data on Crafts; Technical Report; UNESCO: Paris, France, 1990. [Google Scholar]
- Corrigan, E.K. Digital Collections Manual (Version 1.0); Technical Report; Eastern Illinois University: Charleston, IL, USA, 2010. [Google Scholar]
- Corns, A. 3D-ICONS: D7.3 Guidelines and Case Studies; Zenodo: Genève, Switzerland, 2013; pp. 59–68. [Google Scholar]
- Rourk, W. 3D cultural heritage informatics: Applications to 3D data curation. 3D/VR Acad. Libr. Emerg. Pract. Trends 2019, 3, 24–38. [Google Scholar]
- Bitelli, G.; Girelli, V.A.; Marziali, M.; Zanutta, A. Use of historical images for the documentation and the metrical study of cultural heritage by means of digital photogrammetric techniques. In Proceedings of the XXI International CIPA Symposium, Athens, Greece, 1–6 October 2007. [Google Scholar]
- Hassani, F. Documentation of cultural heritage; techniques, potentials, and constraints. Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spat. Inf. Sci. 2015, 40, 207–214. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Beck, L.S. Digital documentation in the conservation of cultural heritage: Finding the practical in best practice. Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spat. Inf. Sci. 2013, 40, 85–90. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Jones, C.; Duffy, C.; Gibson, A.; Terras, M. Understanding multispectral imaging of cultural heritage: Determining best practice in msi analysis of historical artefacts. J. Cult. Herit. 2020, 45, 339–350. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Trentelman, K. Analyzing the heterogeneous hierarchy of cultural heritage materials: Analytical imaging. Annu. Rev. Anal. Chem. 2017, 10, 247–270. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Piroddi, L.; Zeid, N.; Calcina, S.; Capizzi, P.; Capozzoli, L.; Catapano, I.; Cozzolino, M.; D’Amico, S.; Lasaponara, R.; Tapete, D. Imaging cultural heritage at different scales: Part I, the micro-scale (manufacts). Remote. Sens. 2023, 15, 2586. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Sabbatini, L.; van der Werf, I. Chemical Analysis in Cultural Heritage; Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG: Berlin, Germany, 2020. [Google Scholar]
- Renaud, L.; Brosseau, K.; Choquette, M. Digitization Standards for the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation; Canadian Museum of Civilization: Gatineau, QC, Canada, 2006. [Google Scholar]
- Kahle, P.; Colutto, S.; Hackl, G.; Mühlberger, G. Transkribus-a service platform for transcription, recognition and retrieval of historical documents. In Proceedings of the 2017 14th IAPR International Conference on Document Analysis and Recognition (ICDAR), Kyoto, Japan, 9–15 November 2017; Volume 4, pp. 19–24. [Google Scholar]
- Sánchez, J.A.; Mühlberger, G.; Gatos, B.; Schofield, P.; Depuydt, K.; Davis, R.M.; Vidal, E.; De Does, J. Transcriptorium: A European project on handwritten text recognition. In Proceedings of the 2013 ACM Symposium on Document Engineering, Florence, Italy, 10–13 September 2013; pp. 227–228. [Google Scholar]
- De Francesco, G. MINERVA–the Ministerial Network for Valorising Activities in Digitisation Towards an Agreed European Platform for Digitisation of Cultural and Scientific Heritage; Technical Report; Institute of Information Theories and Applications FOI ITHEA: Sofia, Bulgaria, 2004. [Google Scholar]
- Pitzalis, D.; Kaminski, J.; Niccolucci, F. 3D-COFORM: Making 3D documentation an everyday choice for the cultural heritage sector. Virtual Archaeol. Rev. 2011, 2, 145–146. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Dellepiane, M.; Callieri, M.; Corsini, M.; Scopigno, R. Using digital 3D models for study and restoration of cultural heritage artifacts. In Digital Imaging for Cultural Heritage; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, USA, 2011; pp. 39–70. [Google Scholar]
- Niccolucci, F.; Fernie, K.; D’Andrea, A. 3D-ICONS: European project providing 3D models and related digital content to Europeana. In Proceedings of the 3D-ICONS: European Project Providing 3D Models and Related Digital Content to Europeana, Florence, Italy, 9–11 May 2012; pp. 51–56. [Google Scholar]
- Barber, D.M.; Dallas, R.W.A.; Mills, J.P. Laser scanning for architectural conservation. J. Archit. Conserv. 2006, 12, 35–52. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Song, L.; Li, X.; Yang, Y.-G.; Zhu, X.; Guo, Q.; Liu, H. Structured-light-based 3d reconstruction system for cultural relic packaging. Sensors 2018, 18, 2981. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Aicardi, I.; Chiabrando, F.; Lingua, A.M.; Noardo, F. Recent trends in cultural heritage 3d survey: The photogrammetric computer vision approach. J. Cult. Herit. 2018, 32, 257–266. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Rodríguez-Gonzálvez, P.; Muñoz-Nieto, A.L.; Delpozo, S.; Sanchez-Aparicio, L.J.; Gonzalez-Aguilera, D.; Micoli, L.; Gonizzi-Barsanti, S.; Guidi, G.; Mills, J.; Fieber, K.; et al. 4D reconstruction and visualization of cultural heritage: Analyzing our legacy through time. Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spat. Inf. Sci. 2017, 42, 609–616. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Stavroulakis, P.I.; Ganetsos, T.; Zabulis, X. Large scale optical projection tomography without the use of refractive-index-matching liquid. Sensors 2023, 23, 9814. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Zabulis, X.; Meghini, C.; Dubois, A.; Doulgeraki, P.; Partarakis, N.; Adami, I.; Karuzaki, E.; Carre, A.; Patsiouras, N.; Kaplanidi, D.; et al. Digitisation of traditional craft processes. J. Comput. Cult. Herit. 2022, 15, 1–24. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- de Berardinis, J.; Penuela, A.; Poltronieri, A.; Presutti, V. The music annotation pattern. In Proceedings of the Workshop on Ontology Design and Patterns, Online, 24 October 2022. [Google Scholar]
- Sporleder, C. Natural language processing for cultural heritage domains. Lang. Linguist. Compass 2010, 4, 750–768. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Carriero, V.; Ciroku, F.; de Berardinis, J.; Pandiani, D.; Meroño-Peñuela, A.; Poltronieri, A.; Presutti, V. Semantic integration of MIR datasets with the polifonia ontology network. In Proceedings of the International Society for Music Information Retrieval Conference, Online, 7–12 November 2021. [Google Scholar]
- Lisena, P.; Meroño-Peñuela, A.; Troncy, R. MIDI2vec: Learning MIDI embeddings for reliable prediction of symbolic music metadata. Semant. Web 2022, 13, 357–377. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Benetos, E.; Dixon, S.; Duan, Z.; Ewert, S. Automatic music transcription: An overview. IEEE Signal Process. Mag. 2018, 36, 20–30. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Alborno, P.; Piana, S.; Mancini, M.; Niewiadomski, R.; Volpe, G.; Camurri, A. Analysis of intrapersonal synchronization in full-body movements displaying different expressive qualities. In Proceedings of the International Working Conference on Advanced Visual Interfaces, Bari, Italy, 7–10 June 2016; pp. 136–143. [Google Scholar]
- Camurri, A.; Volpe, G.; Piana, S.; Mancini, M.; Niewiadomski, R.; Ferrari, N.; Canepa, C. The dancer in the eye: Towards a multi-layered computational framework of qualities in movement. In Proceedings of the International Symposium on Movement and Computing, Thessaloniki, Greece, 5–6 July 2016; pp. 1–7. [Google Scholar]
- Piana, S.; Alborno, P.; Niewiadomski, R.; Mancini, M.; Volpe, G.; Camurri, A. Movement fluidity analysis based on performance and perception. In Proceedings of the CHI Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems, San Jose, CA, USA, 7–12 May 2016; pp. 1629–1636. [Google Scholar]
- Mokhov, S.; Kaur, A.; Talwar, M.; Gudavalli, K.; Song, M.; Mudur, S. Real-time motion capture for performing arts and stage. In Proceedings of the ACM SIGGRAPH 2018, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 12–16 August 2018; pp. 1–2. [Google Scholar]
- Bates, C. Video Methods: Social Science Research in Motion. In Routledge Advances in Research Methods; Routledge: London, UK, 2015. [Google Scholar]
- Wood, N. Transmitting Craft Knowledge: Designing Interactive Media to Support Tacit Skills Learning; Sheffield Hallam University: Sheffield, UK, 2006. [Google Scholar]
- Jeong, E.; Yu, J. Ego-centric recording framework for Korean traditional crafts motion. In Digital Heritage. Progress in Cultural Heritage: Documentation, Preservation, and Protection; Ioannides, M., Fink, E., Brumana, R., Patias, P., Doulamis, A., Martins, J., Wallace, M., Eds.; Springer International Publishing: Cham, Switzerland, 2018; pp. 118–125. [Google Scholar]
- Le Bellu, S.; Le Blanc, B. How to characterize professional gestures to operate tacit know-how transfer? Electron. J. Knowl. Manag. 2012, 10, 142–153. [Google Scholar]
- Wang, K.; Liao, Y.; Chu, W.; Chiang, J.; Chen, Y.; Chan, P. Digitization and value-add application of bamboo weaving artifacts. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Asia-Pacific Digital Libraries, Beijing, China, 24–27 October 2011; Springer: Berlin/Heidelberg, Germany, 2011; pp. 16–25. [Google Scholar]
- Brown, K.; Banks, E. Close encounters: Using mobile video ethnography to understand human-animal relations. In Video Methods; Routledge: London, UK, 2014; pp. 95–120. [Google Scholar]
- Gowlland, G. Unpacking craft skills: What can images reveal about the embodied experience of craft? Vis. Anthropol. 2015, 28, 286–297. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Whatmore, S. Materialist returns: Practising cultural geography in and for a more-than-human world. Cult. Geogr. 2006, 13, 600–609. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kullman, K. The mobile life of screens: Digital imaging on school journeys in Helsinki. In Video Methods; Routledge: London, UK, 2014; pp. 49–70. [Google Scholar]
- Patchett, M. Witnessing craft: Employing video ethnography to attend to the more-than-human craft practices of taxidermy. In Video Methods: Social Science Research in Motion; Routledge: London, UK, 2015; pp. 71–94. [Google Scholar]
- McCloud, S.; Martin, M. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art; Tundra Publishing Ltd.: Toronto, ON, Canada, 1993. [Google Scholar]
- Mann, S. Humanistic computing: ”wearcomp” as a new framework and application for intelligent signal processing. Proc. IEEE 1998, 86, 2123–2151. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Gavrila, D.M. The visual analysis of human movement: A survey. Comput. Vis. Image Underst. 1999, 73, 82–98. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Singh, R.; Sonawane, A.; Srivastava, R. Recent evolution of modern datasets for human activity recognition: A deep survey. Multimed. Syst. 2020, 26, 83–106. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Chaquet, J.; Carmona, E.; Fernández-Caballero, A. A survey of video datasets for human action and activity recognition. Comput. Vis. Image Underst. 2013, 117, 633–659. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Sun, Y.; Liu, W.; Bao, Q.; Fu, Y.; Mei, T.; Black, M.J. Putting People in their Place: Monocular Regression of 3D People in Depth. In Proceedings of the 2022 IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (CVPR), New Orleans, LA, USA, 18–24 June 2022; pp. 13233–13242. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Partarakis, N.; Zabulis, X.; Foukarakis, M.; Moutsaki, M.; Zidianakis, E.; Patakos, A.; Adami, I.; Kaplanidi, D.; Ringas, C.; Tasiopoulou, E. Supporting sign language narrations in the museum. Heritage 2021, 5, 1–20. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Adami, I.; Foukarakis, M.; Ntoa, S.; Partarakis, N.; Stefanakis, N.; Koutras, G.; Kutsuras, T.; Ioannidi, D.; Zabulis, X.; Stephanidis, C. Monitoring health parameters of elders to support independent living and improve their quality of life. Sensors 2021, 21, 517. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kikuchi, T.; Koyanagi, T.; Hamada, H.; Nakai, A.; Takai, Y.; Goto, A.; Fujii, Y.; Narita, C.; Endo, A.; Koshino, T. Biomechanics Investigation of Skillful Technician in Hand Lay Up Fabrication Method. In Proceedings of the ASME 2012 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Houston, TX, USA, 9–15 November 2012; Volume 3. Design, Materials and Manufacturing, Parts A, B, and C of ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. [Google Scholar]
- Zhao, G.; Zan, H.; Di, B.; Yu, Y.; Zhu, W. Research on Tujia brocade craft visualization based on unmarked motion capture technique. In Proceedings of the 2017 3rd IEEE International Conference on Cybernetics (CYBCONF), Exeter, UK, 21–23 June 2017; pp. 1–5. [Google Scholar]
- Dimitropoulos, K.; Manitsaris, S.; Tsalakanidou, F.; Nikolopoulos, S.; Denby, B.; Al Kork, S.; Crevier-Buchman, L.; Pillot-Loiseau, C.; Adda-Decker, M.; Dupont, S. Capturing the intangible an introduction to the i-treasures project. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Computer Vision Theory and Applications, Lisbon, Portugal, 5–8 January 2014; Volume 2, pp. 773–781. [Google Scholar]
- Manitsaris, S.; Glushkova, A.; Katsouli, E.; Manitsaris, A.; Volioti, C. Modelling gestural know-how in pottery based on state-space estimation and system dynamic simulation. Procedia Manuf. 2015, 3, 3804–3811. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Strand, E.A.; Lindgren, S.; Larsson, C. Capturing our cultural intangible textile heritage, mocap and craft technology. In Digital Heritage. Progress in Cultural Heritage: Documentation, Preservation, and Protection; Ioannides, M., Fink, E., Moropoulou, A., Hagedorn-Saupe, M., Fresa, A., Liestøl, G., Rajcic, V., Grussenmeyer, P., Eds.; Springer International Publishing: Cham, Switzerland, 2016; pp. 10–15. [Google Scholar]
- Olivas-Padilla, B.E.; Glushkova, A.; Manitsaris, S. Motion capture benchmark of real industrial tasks and traditional crafts for human movement analysis. IEEE Access 2023, 11, 40075–40092. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Shaked, T.; Bar-Sinai, K.L.; Sprecher, A. Autonomous in craft-embedding human sensibility in architectural robotic fabrication. In Proceedings of the RE: Anthropocene, Design in the Age of Humans-Proceedings of the 25th CAADRIA Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, 5–6 August 2020; Volume 2, pp. 243–252. [Google Scholar]
- Colyer, S.L.; Evans, M.; Cosker, D.P.; Salo, A.I.T. A review of the evolution of vision-based motion analysis and the integration of advanced computer vision methods towards developing a markerless system. Sports Med.-Open 2018, 4, 24. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Deng, B.; Yao, Y.; Dyke, R.; Zhang, J. A survey of non-rigid 3D registration. Comput. Graph. Forum 2022, 41, 559–589. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Tretschk, E.; Kairanda, N.; Mallikarjun, B.; Dabral, R.; Kortylewski, A.; Egger, B.; Habermann, M.; Fua, P.; Theobalt, C.; Golyanik, V. State of the Art in Dense Monocular Non-Rigid 3D Reconstruction; Computer Graphics Forum; Wiley: Hoboken, NJ, USA, 2023. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Cooke, N. Varieties of knowledge elicitation techniques. Int. J. Hum.-Comput. Stud. 1994, 41, 801–849. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Shadbolt, N.; Smart, P.; Wilson, J.; Sharples, S. Knowledge elicitation. In Evaluation of Human Work; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, USA, 2015; pp. 163–200. [Google Scholar]
- Suchman, L.; Trigg, R. Understanding practice: Video as a medium for reflection and design. In Design at Work; CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, USA, 2020; pp. 65–89. [Google Scholar]
- Marchand, T. Craftwork as Problem-Solving: Ethnographic Studies of Design and Making; Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.: Farnham, UK, 2016. [Google Scholar]
- Rönkkö, M.; Lepistö, J. The craft process developing student decision making. Techne Ser.-Forsk. I Slöjdpedagogik Och Slöjdvetenskap 2016, 23, 48–61. Available online: https://journals.oslomet.no/index.php/techneA/article/view/1457/1485 (accessed on 5 May 2025).
- Hutchison, E.D. An update on the relevance of the life course perspective for social work. Fam. Soc. 2019, 100, 351–366. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Elder, G.H., Jr. The life course as developmental theory. Child Dev. 1998, 69, 1–12. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Moen, P.; Sweet, S. From ‘work–family’to ‘flexible careers’ A life course reframing. Community Work. Fam. 2004, 7, 209–226. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Garfinkel, H. Studies in ethnomethodology. In Social Theory Re-Wired; Routledge: London, UK, 2023; pp. 58–66. [Google Scholar]
- Lassiter, L.E. The Chicago Guide to Collaborative Ethnography; University of Chicago Press: Chicago, IL, USA, 2005. [Google Scholar]
- Pink, S. Doing Sensory Ethnography; SAGE Publications Ltd.: Thousand Oaks, CA, USA, 2015. [Google Scholar]
- Zabulis, X.; Partarakis, N.; Bartalesi, V.; Pratelli, N.; Meghini, C.; Dubois, A.; Moreno, I.; Manitsaris, S. Multimodal Dictionaries for Traditional Craft Education. Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2024, 8, 63. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Getty AAT. Available online: https://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabularies/aat/ (accessed on 31 March 2025).
- UNESCO Thesaurus. Available online: https://vocabularies.unesco.org/browser/thesaurus/en/ (accessed on 31 March 2025).
- Mingei Project. Available online: https://www.mingei-project.eu/ (accessed on 2 May 2025).
- Craeft Project. Available online: https://www.craeft.eu/ (accessed on 2 May 2025).
- Mingei Online Platform. Available online: http://mop.mingei-project.eu/resource/rsp:Home (accessed on 2 May 2025).
- Keller, C.M.; Keller, J.D. Cognition and Tool Use: The Blacksmith at Work; Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK, 1996. [Google Scholar]
- Field, S. Screenplay; Delacorte: New York, NY, USA, 1982. [Google Scholar]
- Partarakis, N.N.P.; Doulgeraki, P.P.D.; Karuzaki, E.E.K.; Adami, I.I.A.; Ntoa, S.S.N.; Metilli, D.D.M.; Bartalesi, V.V.B.; Meghini, C.C.M.; Marketakis, Y.Y.M.; Kaplanidi, D.D.M.; et al. Representation of socio-historical context to support the authoring and presentation of multimodal narratives: The Mingei Online Platform. ACM J. Comput. Cult. Herit. (JOCCH) 2021, 15, 1–26. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Tuhiwai Smith, L. Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples; Bloomsbury Publishing: London, UK, 2012. [Google Scholar]
- Lewis, J. Qualitative Research Practice a Guide for Social Science Students and Researchers; SAGE Publications: Thousand Oaks, CA, USA, 2003. [Google Scholar]
- Aktaş, B.; Mäkelä, M. Negotiation between the maker and material: Observations on material interactions in felting studio. Int. J. Des. 2019, 13, 55–67. [Google Scholar]
- Zenodo. Available online: https://zenodo.org/ (accessed on 31 March 2025).
- Doerr, M. The CIDOC conceptual reference module: An ontological approach to semantic interoperability of metadata. AI Mag. 2003, 24, 75. [Google Scholar]
- Partarakis, N.; Zabulis, X.; Chatziantoniou, A.; Patsiouras, N.; Adami, I. An approach to the creation and presentation of reference gesture datasets, for the preservation of traditional crafts. Appl. Sci. 2020, 10, 7325. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Von Cranach, M.; Harré, R. (Eds.) The Analysis of Action: Recent Theoretical and Empirical Advances; Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK, 1982; Volume 1. [Google Scholar]
- Zabulis, X.; Partarakis, N.; Demeridou, I.; Bartalesi, V.; Pratelli, N.; Meghini, C.; Nikolaou, N.; Fallahian, P. Modelling and Simulation of Traditional Craft Actions. Appl. Sci. 2024, 14, 7750. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Rabardel, P. People and Technology. 2002. Available online: https://hal.science/hal-01020705v1 (accessed on 5 May 2025).
- Kaptelinin, V.; Nardi, B.A. Acting with Technology: Activity Theory and Interaction Design; MIT Press: Cambridge, MA, USA, 2009. [Google Scholar]
- Geismar, H.; Horst, H.A. Materializing ethnography. J. Mater. Cult. 2004, 9, 5–10. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Wesch, M. YouTube and you: Experiences of self-awareness in the context collapse of the recording webcam. Explor. Media Ecol. 2009, 8, 19–34. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Manitsaris, S.; Senteri, G.; Makrygiannis, D.; Glushkova, A. Human movement representation on multivariate time series for recognition of professional gestures and forecasting their trajectories. Front. Robot. AI 2020, 7, 80. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Craft/Action | Add/Subtract | Interlock | Free-Form |
---|---|---|---|
Glassblowing | X | X | |
Aubusson Tapestry | X | ||
Woodcarving | X | X | |
Porcelain Pottery | X | X | |
Marble Crafts | X | ||
Silversmithing | X | ||
Clay Pottery | X | ||
Traditional Textiles | X |
Limoges Porcelain—Plaster Turning Gesture Segmentation | |
---|---|
1. Installation of formwork -1.1. Measuring and marking reference points -1.2. Workspace and material preparation -1.3. Checking measurements and marking reference points -1.4. Soaping turning plate -1.5. Fixing formwork to turning plate --1.5.1. Positioning formwork on plate --1.5.2. Closing formwork with clips --1.5.3. Coiling --1.5.4. Fixing work form -1.6. Pouring plaster into formwork 2. Plaster mixture preparation -2.1. Mixing plaster powder and water -2.2. Stirring plaster mixture -2.3. Removing air bubbles -2.4. Plaster mixture thickening | 3. Plaster turning on wheel -3.1. Preparing turning tools -3.2. Checking plaster consistency -3.3. Formwork removal -3.4. Finding and marking center of piece. -3.5. Plaster turning (carving with trimming, turning, or carving tools (“tournassins”)) --3.5.1. Carving upper level --3.5.2. Carving medium level --3.5.3. Carving lower level --3.5.4. Measurements (several times) --3.5.5. Marking reference points (several times) --3.5.6. Tool cleaning (several times) -3.6. Smoothing surface with flat scraper -3.7. Carving adjustments -3.8. Sanding --3.8.1. Sanding with medium-grit sandpaper --3.8.2. Sanding with fine-grit sandpaper |
Q. How did you start, Julie? How did you get into this profession? A. So, I first did a high school diploma in visual arts in Normandy and half a year at a university in Rennes, which did not go very well. And then I found the BTS in modeling in Limoges. That was in 1998. |
Q. And how did you find it? A. My mother probably found it in a magazine. Just like that. |
Q. But were you already interested in it? A. Since I was in visual arts. |
Q. Yes, but ceramics, clay, wood? A. I was still thrown off by the university system. And I wanted something concrete. So, this was a BTS in modeling, creator-modeler in an apprenticeship program. For me, it was more tangible, and indeed, I really liked modeling, but I didn’t know modeling yet because I was working with clay but not plaster. Ah, but you were already doing it somewhat. In a casual way, yes. Like a hobby. How old are you? I was born in 1979, I’m 44 years old. And so I did my apprenticeship over two and a half years at Raynaud Porcelains. At the time with Guy, who was my apprenticeship master. They didn’t hire me afterward. I went to Vallauris for a year to get a CAP in pottery wheel-throwing. Then, I had an experience in ceramics in Africa for a year. |
Q. Where exactly? A. In Burkina Faso. And then, when I returned, I found work at Céramique Valley, a faience factory where I worked in all positions, from clay preparation, calibration, casting, and kiln loading. That was in Saint-Laurent-sur-Gorre. Yes. So, after that, I didn’t stay. I had an experience in Salernes, but it didn’t go well. I found work at Artoria, where I did casting for a year. |
Q. All these companies you mentioned, are in the Limoges area? A. Yes, in Limoges. Then I switched to organic market gardening, so I returned home to Normandy. But while looking for work, I searched in this region because my son was here. So, I found a job in Oradour-sur-Glane at Bernardaud, working on the finishing of raw pieces before glazing. From there, the director of Porcelaines de la Fabrique called me, saying they were looking for a modeler. He hired me, and I stayed for eight years at Porcelaines de la Fabrique. |
Q. And the moment you decided to leave and retrain in market gardening, was it because you felt that … A. I couldn’t do it anymore. At that time, I was working as a modeler for Porcelaines Coquet in Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat. But the work environment was difficult; in the workshop, we were four people, two of whom didn’t speak to each other at all, creating a very bad atmosphere. My son was young, it was complicated, and my family was in Normandy. So, I left. I did market gardening because I enjoyed it as a hobby. But since his father was in the region, I eventually looked for work to return here. It was a mix of personal and professional reasons. My most significant experience was at La Fabrique. And then, I wanted to start my workshop (…). |
Q. And what exactly do they ask you to model? A. Less and less, because 3D printers do a decent job, provided you have the right knowledge. They don’t anticipate deformations like a modeler would. So, I still do modeling, making the first molds and matrices. A single mold isn’t enough to produce 1000 pieces, so we matrix the mold to produce multiple copies. I also cast molds (…). I handle the entire process from model to mold to matrix. I have a kiln at home, so I test samples to check quality. |
Q. How did you arrive at the school here? A. Guy asked me. Yes, because there was a need. |
Q. When was that? A. It was in 2019 or 2020, but there was COVID in between. |
Q. Has this experience changed how you work in your workshop? A. Not really, because my work is highly structured, and I don’t have time to explore beyond it. My workshop work is more like a factory than a school. |
Q. How do you see the future of porcelain in Limoges, especially with 3D printing? A. For now, there are no machines making molds or matrices. 3D printing helps but doesn’t replace the modeler’s expertise. It removes some of the most interesting parts of our job, but modelers are still needed. |
Q. Would you say the porcelain industry in Limoges is doing well? A. Yes, it’s doing very well. That’s why I’m optimistic about the future. But fewer modelers are being trained, and companies often don’t retain apprentices. I would have loved to be hired after my BTS. It takes about ten years to understand the entire process. Today, I have a lot of work, all through word-of-mouth. I do no advertising or social media. I’m at a point where I might refuse new clients because I work all the time. That’s why I left teaching. I just didn’t have the time (…). |
Title | Method | Format | DOI |
---|---|---|---|
Motion Capture of Limoges | Using volumetric human pose estimation methods. | GLB | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15038129, (accessed on 5 May 2025) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15038765, (accessed on 5 May 2025) |
Reconstruction of human motion in 3D | Capturing of 3D rendering | MP4 | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15037785, (accessed on 5 May 2025) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15037811, (accessed on 5 May 2025) |
Ethnographic reports | Notes and video elicitation | Multimodal document | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15037333, (accessed on 5 May 2025) |
Raw video recording (egocentric camera) | Egocentric camera on practitioner | MP4 | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13684805, (accessed on 5 May 2025) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13685199, (accessed on 5 May 2025) |
Raw video recording (third-person view) | Camera on tripod | MP4 | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13685256, (accessed on 5 May 2025) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13685315, (accessed on 5 May 2025) |
Raw audio files | Microphone attached to workshop surface | WAV | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13685320, (accessed on 5 May 2025) |
Step | Egocentric Video | Egocentric Start–End | Frontal Video | Frontal Start–End | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
From | To | From | To | |||||||
min | s | min | s | min | s | min | s | |||
PART 1 | ||||||||||
1.1 | GX010017 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 52 | GX010018 | - | - | - | - |
1.2 | GX010017 | 0 | 53 | 1 | 4 | GX010018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
1.3 | GX010017 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 41 | GX010018 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 47 |
1.4 | GX010017 | 1 | 42 | 2 | 23 | GX010018 | 0 | 48 | 1 | 29 |
2.1 | GX010017 | 2 | 30 | 3 | 6 | GX010018 | 1 | 36 | 2 | 12 |
1.5.1 | GX010017 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 14 | GX010018 | 2 | 13 | 2 | 20 |
1.5.2 | GX010017 | 3 | 15 | 3 | 25 | GX010018 | 2 | 21 | 2 | 31 |
1.5.3 | GX010017 | 3 | 26 | 4 | 45 | GX010018 | 2 | 32 | 3 | 51 |
1.5.4 | GX010017 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 8 | GX010018 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 14 |
2.2 | GX010017 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 0 | GX010018 | 4 | 15 | 5 | 6 |
2.3 | GX010017 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 5 | GX010018 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 11 |
Analyzed sequence: From plaster mixture preparation to sanding the piece (a part of the plaster mold). | |
Additional information: Time annotations correspond solely to the egocentric video recordings. PART 1—Sources: GX010017 excerpt (egocentric, 11′05″) + GX010018 excerpt (frontal, 15′31″) [Next to the plaster wheel, several working tools are deployed: a compass, plastic formwork, a pair of clips, a metallic ruler, a “pichouret” (a long wooden stick with a padded end, used to increase stability while carving with a plaster scraper), several turning tools, a large brush, a pencil, and a second “pichouret” with a rectangular unpadded end]. | |
Installation of formwork. | |
Holding and positioning the “pichouret” and a pencil (with the right hand). The unpadded end of the “pichouret” is held against the wooden bottom of the plaster wheel and the padded end is against the abdomen (at chest level, near the sternum). | |
Posture: The body and head are bent slightly forward, towards the plaster wheel, and the arms and elbows do not rest on the turning plate, they remain in the air. The feet are separated by a little less than the width of the pelvis and the toes point outwards. The pelvis remains fixed, facing the edge of the turning plate, and the torso tilts to a greater or lesser extent depending on the technical operations involved. The clothes she is wearing, particularly the apron, do not allow us to see whether her knees are slightly bent or not. | |
Measuring and marking reference points. | |
0′35″. With her right hand resting on the “pichouret”, she draws a mark on the right-hand side of the turning plate. | |
Workspace and material preparation. | |
0′53″. On the plaster wheel next to her, she takes a piece of earth (the lid of the jar is marked with “terre enterrage”) which she kneads with the palms of both hands, rotating the piece. 1′ She places the piece on the left-hand side of the turning plate. She clears the work surface by moving certain tools (compass and formwork) to make space. 1′02″. She turns on the plaster wheel by pressing the button. | |
Checking measurements and marking reference points. | |
She takes the compass to check a measurement from the point she drew before. 1′05″–1′17″. She repositions the «pichouret» and uses the pencil to draw a circle from the reference point, rotating the turning plate while pressing her right hand against the “pichouret” for greater stability and immobilizing the tip of the pencil by pinching with the thumb and forefinger of her left hand. 1′20″–1′25″. Checking the diameter of the marked circle by measuring with the compass. 1′25″. Reinforcing the tracing of the circle line using the “pichouret” and a pencil. | |
Soaping the turning plate. | |
1′42″. She grips a large brush and a plastic bottle containing a soap solution. 1′45″. The soap solution is applied to the brush head in a circular motion. 1′46″–1′53″. The soap is then applied to the surface of the turning plate, counterclockwise, around the pencil-marked circle, and on the central piece (the one that will hold the plaster piece), tapping rapidly with the brush. |
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content. |
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Zabulis, X.; Nikolaos, P.; Manikaki, V.; Demeridou, I.; Dubois, A.; Moreno, I.; Bartalesi, V.; Pratelli, N.; Meghini, C.; Manitsaris, S.; et al. A Digitally Enhanced Ethnography for Craft Action and Process Understanding. Appl. Sci. 2025, 15, 5408. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15105408
Zabulis X, Nikolaos P, Manikaki V, Demeridou I, Dubois A, Moreno I, Bartalesi V, Pratelli N, Meghini C, Manitsaris S, et al. A Digitally Enhanced Ethnography for Craft Action and Process Understanding. Applied Sciences. 2025; 15(10):5408. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15105408
Chicago/Turabian StyleZabulis, Xenophon, Partarakis Nikolaos, Vasiliki Manikaki, Ioanna Demeridou, Arnaud Dubois, Inés Moreno, Valentina Bartalesi, Nicolò Pratelli, Carlo Meghini, Sotiris Manitsaris, and et al. 2025. "A Digitally Enhanced Ethnography for Craft Action and Process Understanding" Applied Sciences 15, no. 10: 5408. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15105408
APA StyleZabulis, X., Nikolaos, P., Manikaki, V., Demeridou, I., Dubois, A., Moreno, I., Bartalesi, V., Pratelli, N., Meghini, C., Manitsaris, S., & Senteri, G. (2025). A Digitally Enhanced Ethnography for Craft Action and Process Understanding. Applied Sciences, 15(10), 5408. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15105408