KEMECSI Lajos
Muzeul Etnografic din Budapesta
Inventories preserved the most exact data concerning everyday life including handcraft. This short study lists a few possible usages of these sources. For researchers studying handcraft it is always useful to analyze the change and progress of tools. Comparing the inventories of different geographical area prove the studies written on the commonness and similarities of the tools used by certain craftsman. Through the study of inventories, the changes in the structure of artisan products, as well as, the local characteristics can be easily traced. Inventories are also ideal to visualise the lifestyle of craftsmen and to study their status within their community. Inventories can also show the craftsmen’s level of literacy, and by studying them it is possible to reconstruct the craftsmen’s mental and cultural environment.
Keywords: inventory, lifestyle of craftsmen, innovations, fashion following, cultural environment