Tinos' Timeless Marble Craftsmanship
Hondrogiannis Workshop
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Tinos, a Greek island known for its marble tradition, is a place of high-quality craftsmanship. Nestled in the heart of the island is the village of Pyrgos that stands as a long lasting center for marble artistry.
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In Pyrgos, there are many workshops and studios, where skilled craft professionals carve exquisite sculptures, architectural marvels, and decorative pieces from the marble. The legacy of marble carving in Pyrgos spans for centuries, a heritage passed down through generations.
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The enduring tradition is encapsulated in the "Hondrogiannis" family workshop, which the CRAEFT team had a privilege to explore.
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The significance of marble carving to Tinos' identity is eloquently captured by PIOP's anthropologist Danae Kaplanidi, "Even beyond the village of Pyrgos, where the Hondrogiannis workshop is, the impact is still present and vivid—the bus stop itself, crafted entirely from marble, stands as an impressive testament to the enduring artistry of the region".
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Welcome to Hondrogiannis Workshop
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Just a bit beyond the village of Pyrgos we found ourselves in the world of "Hondrogiannis" marble workshop. There we met with two brothers, Dimitris and Yiannis Hondrogiannis.
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Guided Tour
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Yiannis guides us through the workshop, unveiling the various stages of marble processing and showing us the tools and machines.
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Large areas covered in white powder bear witness to diligently smoothing processes of marble, while another room showcases a water-powered marble cutting machine. Amidst tools and marble dust, controlled chaos reigns, revealing the functionality within the seemingly small space.
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The Recording
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After meeting with our hosts and getting familiar with the marble workshop the recording sessions started. Among many intriguing moments we wish to share with you the “splitting technique”.
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Splitting used to take place mainly at the quarry, where the extracted marble was split into smaller blocks and cut into cubes before being transported out of the quarry. Today, splitting is no longer taking place at the quarry, but the marble is transported to the splitters after being extracted.
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The techniques used for splitting the marble are determined by the surface parallel to which it will be cut: the face, long side, or head. Yiannis decided to show us the traditional technique of splitting marble with a hammer, locally called “mantrakas”, and chisel. He struck repeatedly a piece of Tinian marble following one of its mineral veins. He hit along the vein on several points several times until the vibration traveled deep inside to split the piece. As he mentioned, it is characteristic how the hitting sounds change when the marble is closer to being split.
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Take outs
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This video stands out for its simultaneous capture of both "first-person" (egocentric) view, sourced from a marbelcarver's wearable head camera, and "third-person" (exocentric) view, obtained from the cameras strategically placed around him.
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The "first-person" (egocentric) perspective offers insights into what the craft professional sees and hears, the unique craft experience. While the "third-person" (exocentric) view provides a broader scene of the craft gesture.
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This dual-perspective approach grants a unique insight into intricate, unique human technique of marble splitting.
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To learn more about the initial phases of the
research protocol watch the Twitch
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Survey from the sister project Hephaestus
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The Hephaestus project, funded within the same Horizon program than CRAEFT, has developed a questionnaire to study what skills and resources are essential to do the craftsman's job, what skills need to be developed, and what services are useful for that career. We are inviting crafts practitioners to answer this questionnaire and asking other stakeholders to disseminate it. The questionnaire will not take more than 10-15 minutes, and it is accessible on both the web and smartphone.
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The CRAEFT Consortium
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