Handicraft is the term given to an artifact made by using conventional methods and tools. It is characterized by minimum or no use of machines. Early civilizations witnessed the making of handicrafts for various purposes. A particular section of the people began making handicrafts for royalty or the influential people of the period, for trade and commerce and for the general public. Indus Valley Civilization in India observed the mass production of pottery and beads for the purposes mentioned above. The invention of the metallurgical techniques led to a great development in the production of metal handicrafts. Copper was the first metal to be discovered and numerous artifacts were made in copper and bronze. Similarly gold and silver and finally iron proved to be decisive in the metallurgical advancements.

Handicrafts could be made in several other mediums too. Stone crafts, glass crafts, wood crafts, paper crafts, and textiles are just a few examples. There are innumerable handicrafts that are made by mixing more than one medium too. In the beginning, handicrafts were made for the utility purposes. But once the utility purpose was successfully served, the handicrafts were made for decorative purposes. Several handicrafts now decorate the favorite places of the people like homes, offices, gardens, halls and others.

Textile and jewelry are the crafts that are an integral part of the lives of everyone. These crafts are now in highly advanced age and their trade is over multi-billion dollars.

Handicrafts are nowadays an important commodity for trade and commerce. The trade volume is consistently growing. In a country, like India, where there is a big portion of population involved in making handicrafts, this factor will bring a good change. Countries like Thailand, China, Mexico, India, Indonesia and Bangladesh are powerhouses of handicrafts. The economies of these countries are getting a fillip after the commercialization of handicrafts on large scale.

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