Recent research conducted by Heritage Crafts, a prominent national advocacy organisation dedicated to preserving traditional heritage crafts in the UK, has unveiled a concerning trend: several traditional craft skills teeter on the edge of extinction within the UK. This revelation stems from the Heritage Crafts Red List of Endangered Crafts, an initiative which identifies crafts facing the risk of endangerment. In their recent 2023 publication, Heritage Crafts highlighted the distressing decline of cut and engraved glass craftsmanship in the UK, categorising and placing both brilliant cutting (as endangered) and copper wheel engraving (as critically endangered) on the Red List of Endangered Crafts in the UK. This means that these crafts pose the risk of not being actively practised. In December 2023, the alarming downturn of these crafts in the UK was explored and discussed during a conference held at Edinburgh College of Art (ECA), entitled Edo-Kiriko: The Art of Japanese Cut Crystal. This event explored the cross-cultural connection and exchange that exists between Scotland and Japan, drawing upon a rich historical exchange that saw the transmission of Western-style glassmaking from Scotland to Japan in the 1870s–1880s. It also details the more recent exchange that has been in place between Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) and the Horiguchi Kiriko glass studio in Tokyo, Japan. This modern-day exchange has seen the recent transmission of glass-cutting skills through a masterclass led by Toru Horiguchi at ECA. This paper presents this conference, introducing the invited speakers and creating a commentary on the proceedings and the plenary discussions that unfolded. Focus and discussion will be given to the factors that have contributed to the current decline of cut and engraved glassmaking in the UK and the possible measures that could be taken to support and safeguard this field. The final part of this paper will offer a reflection on the conference proceedings and will conclude by making an urgent call for the future of cut and engraved glass craftsmanship in the UK. It is hoped this paper will draw attention to the urgent need for support from education and funding bodies, to safeguard and protect these vital heritage crafts, which boast a rich history in the UK.

中文翻译：

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英国和日本的切割和雕刻玻璃场景之间的跨文化历史和传统


致力于保护英国传统传统手工艺的著名全国性倡导组织 Heritage Crafts 最近进行的研究揭示了一个令人担忧的趋势：一些传统手工艺技能在英国境内徘徊在灭绝的边缘。这一发现源于《濒危手工艺品传统手工艺红色名录》（Heritage Crafts Red List of Endangered Crafts），该倡议旨在识别面临濒危风险的手工艺。在他们最近的 2023 年出版物中，Heritage Crafts 强调了英国切割和雕刻玻璃工艺的令人痛心的衰落，将明亮式切割（濒危）和铜轮雕刻（极度濒危）归类并列入英国濒危工艺红色名录。这意味着这些手艺存在没有得到积极实践的风险。2023 年 12 月，在爱丁堡艺术学院 （ECA） 举行的题为“江户切子：日本切工水晶艺术”的会议上，探讨了和讨论了英国这些手工艺令人担忧的衰退。该活动探讨了苏格兰和日本之间存在的跨文化联系和交流，借鉴了 1870 年代至 1880 年代西式玻璃制造从苏格兰传播到日本的丰富历史交流。它还详细介绍了爱丁堡艺术学院 （ECA） 与日本东京的堀口切子玻璃工作室之间最近的交流。这种现代交流见证了最近通过 ECA 由 Toru Horiguchi 主持的大师班传授玻璃切割技能。本文介绍了本次会议，介绍了受邀的演讲者，并对会议进程和展开的全体会议进行了评论。 将重点讨论导致英国目前切割和雕刻玻璃制造衰落的因素，以及可以采取的可能措施来支持和保护这一领域。本文的最后一部分将对会议论文集进行反思，并在最后对英国切割和雕刻玻璃工艺的未来提出紧急呼吁。希望本文能够引起人们对教育和资助机构支持的迫切需求的关注，以保护和保护这些在英国拥有丰富历史的重要遗产手工艺。