About Handicraft

"Handicraft Products" means any products that have artistic or traditional cultural attractions and is the result of a process that relies solely or in part on the skills of hand and includes any batik products, and "batik product" means any goods, however produced, with batik designs on or in any part thereof.

Handicraft, more precisely expressed as artisanal handicraft, sometimes also called artisanry, is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or by using only simple tools. It is a traditional main sector of craft. Usually the term is applied to traditional means of making goods. The individual artisanship of the items is a paramount criterion, such items often have cultural and/or religious significance. Items made by mass production or machines are not handicraft goods.

Usually, what distinguishes the term handicraft from the frequently used category arts and crafts is a matter of intent: handicraft items are intended to be used, worn, etc., having a purpose beyond simple decoration. Handicraft goods are generally considered more traditional work, in traditional non-industrial and transitional societies created as a somewhat more necessary part of daily life (in comparison to industrial societies), while arts and crafts implies more of a hobby pursuit and a demonstration/perfection of a creative technique. In Britain in the late nineteenth century, however, the Arts and Crafts Movement was not a matter of hobbies, but of creating useful as well as creative work for people, using natural materials and traditional techniques. In practical terms, the categories have a great deal of overlap.

In Malaysia, some of handicraft still made by hand, such as Labu Sayong, Wau Bulan, Songket, and other traditional goods. Even though there are technology that can produce better than handmade, but some  people believed the power of craftsmanship is much better, more quality, and unique. 

For arts lover, they more prefer to handmade, because of the arts craft and the creativity man have. Example, the paint of Mona Lisa. People more appreciate of the creativity of Leonardo Da Vinci who made an extraordinary painting. 

Same goes to Malaysian handicraft, each of creation have its own fixture that tells the culture of people. If you can see the unique of Labu Sayong, which is using man expertise and knowledge to handle and made the Labu Sayong.

source: kraftangan, wiki