With all the complicated manufacturing technology and automated processes around us nowadays, it’s nice to take things back to basics every now again and remind ourselves how brilliant good-old-fashioned handiwork can be. Traditional Chinese crafter Li Ziqi doesn’t need computers or fancy machines to make furniture; all she needs is a ruler, some hammers, chisels,…

Centuries ago, the process of manufacturing wood objects such as bowls, utensils, and even toys involved foot-powered lathes that were powerful enough to dwindle rough chunks of freshly-cut wood into the usable items. While we’ve since replaced the need for foot power with electricity, the process of getting from wood block to finished object hasn’t…