The ARCH & Craft Compass: Stories and Steps in Mastery

Brick Making in the Altmark – Crafting a Region

Brick making began in Mesopotamia, firing clay into permanence, but in Germany’s Altmark region, it forged a distinct identity. Recent discoveries reveal that Rittergut Schönberg, home to The ARCH, churned out up to 600,000 bricks annually in 1898—enough to construct entire villages. Nearby, a clay pit, once exploited for its abundant supply, has transformed into a thriving nature reserve, showing how craft and landscape intertwine over time. From Mesopotamia’s ancient kilns, this brick-making legacy shaped Altmark’s iconic red-brick barns and churches.

The archives still show a brick master and a brickmaker working on the estate in 1925. Today, bricks are still featured in the impressive barn buildings of the estate and are regularly unearthed when gardening. The ARCH is piecing together this local piece of history.

The more we uncover about the crafts that once thrived at this ancient knights’ estate, first noted in 1378, the more we’ll reveal, as they vividly illustrate the deep connection between craftsmanship and regional culture.

New Crafts Advisor: Clunie Fretton

Image credit: Clunie Fretton

Step into the world of Clunie Fretton, ARCH’s new special crafts advisor, where classical artistry meets modern mastery in sculpture, carving, and gilding.

Clunie Fretton is a classically trained sculptor, master carver & gilder, who graduated from City & Guilds of London Art School in 2015 with a Distinction in Ornamental Woodcarving & Gilding. She served as the Carving Fellow for the year 2015-2016 before setting up her current practice with partner Felix Handley. She has been awarded the Journeyman and Master Carver Certificate under the Master Certificate scheme to recognise excellence in craftsmanship, the Taylor Pearce Drawing Prize for Carving & Conservation, the Anthony and Margaret Wood Marketing Bursary of the Society of Heraldic Arts, the Newby Trust Award at Cockpit Arts, and is a scholar of the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust. Clunie is a master carver and member of the Master Carvers’ Association, the oldest association of carvers in the world. Clunie is conversant in both wood and stone carving, as well as a range of other materials including bronze, plaster, and synthetic casting materials. She is an experienced gilder, including oil gilding, water gilding & the restoration of antique gilt surfaces. She has a rigorous foundation in technical drawing and the production of sculptural forms, both figurative and ornamental. Her work in the restoration and conservation world as well as in the artistic one grant her sensitivity and understanding when working with Listed buildings and protected or antique objects, as well as in the creation of new artworks. Clunie contributes to the ongoing development of UK heritage skills through her teaching work.

New Members: CEMPER and Die Herrenschneider

Our community expands with two new additions. CEMPER, from Belgium, safeguards the legacy of music and theater—imagine sensory stories woven through melody and performance. Die Herrenschneider, Germany’s expert clothiers, craft embossed elegance into men’s attire, a creator’s signature of German finesse. For institutions, they’re allies in promoting artisanship; for aficionados, new perspectives in your collector’s trove. Greet them warmly!

Image credit: CEMPER

CEMPER — Centre for Music and Performing Arts Heritage in Flanders, Belgium — advises, supports, and guides anyone who encounters heritage of music and/or performing arts: from amateurs to professionals, hobbyists to academics, and heirs to collectors. Music and the performing arts contribute to the rich culture that has been a hallmark of Flanders and Brussels both historically and today. CEMPER aims to preserve and pass on the traces of that culture. To give it a future because we’re convinced that this heritage is valuable: it shapes the memory of music and the performing arts. It contributes to the artistic and cultural diversity of today’s society. Within the heritage of music and performing arts, we encounter a lot of (endangered) craftspeople – e.g. instrument making, puppet making, etc. - which we try to support in their safeguarding trajectories.

​Image credit: Carlo Jösch

For many years, tailoring has been a niche for enthusiasts and aficionados. However, Germany still hosts numerous tailoring businesses offering a wide range of services. The "elite" of tailoring is the bespoke suit, crafted by hand using traditional methods.

The establishment of an association of Germany's top tailors was a collective step into the future of this centuries-old craft. The association and its members aim to preserve artisanal skills, attract new talent, and, of course, uphold the cultural heritage of the bespoke suit.

 Even today, the "true" bespoke suit remains a prime example of the aesthetic and cultural value of men's tailoring. A suit from a master tailor always guarantees a sustainable and high-quality product made from natural materials such as wool, horsehair canvas, and buckram.

​Looking Ahead: A Split Horizon

We’re plotting a future split—‘Craft Curator’s Chronicles’ for stories like Altmark bricks and special crafts finds, and The ARCH news for our ‘assay standard’ strides. It’s dual compasses: one for savoring craft, one for shaping its tomorrow. For now, we blend both—craft and collective in one. Next issue: Crafting (a) community. What do you want to read? Reply!