Mini-documentary film: "The Ancient Mangle of Santarcangelo"
In a tiny town in Italy, the ancient art of handmade, rust-printed textiles is still alive, thanks to a piece of living history: a stone-and-wood mangle designed, in part, by Leonardo da Vinci.
Dear Friends,
This week, for a little twist on our Winter theme, “The New Stone Age,” we’re featuring an unusual workshop, in which stone is not a material, but is still used as a tool. For four generations, the Marchi family has been using a giant stone wheel to create their traditional, rust-printed textiles. Today, the ancient stone mangle of Santarcangelo is treated less like a machine and more like an elder relation, with great care and respect.
I hope you’ll enjoy watching one of our most popular short films to date, along with an accompanying article on “Italy’s Ancient Textile-Printing Mangle,” both by Luisa Grosso.
Throughout the Winter issue, which will highlight some of the artisans and innovators in stonework, we’ll be releasing a feature story, short article, mini-documentary, photo essay, or podcast each Friday — a mix of offerings that relate to our mission, to “create a world built to last.” Along with stories that relate to our issue theme, we’ll also have works on other topics, so please, stay tuned.
In the meantime, I hope you'll always find something intriguing to read, watch, or listen to within our pages. We always welcome your thoughts via email, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Thank you for reading and sharing our stories, for donating to our cause when you can, and for being such a loyal part of the Craftsmanship community.
Be well,
Todd Oppenheimer
Editor & Publisher, Craftsmanship Quarterly
Winter 2023: The New Stone Age
When humans first embarked on their incessant quest for innovations, they began tinkering with little more than the rocks and stones at their feet. The Stone Age endured for more than 2 million years, and the stonework remains of ancient civilizations — from the Megalithic Temples of Malta to Stonehenge to the Great Pyramids — continue to awe and fascinate us today. Throughout the world, stone is still quarried for use in grand monuments, memorials, and much more. In this issue, along with other topics, we highlight some modern-day devotees of this timeless, prehistoric material.