Reinterpreting Buddhist Iconography: A Study of Craft Meanings and Uses in Everyday Living Architectures through ‘Iconic Interactionism’

This study takes a unique approach, focusing on the iconography and psychological use of Buddhist handicrafts in everyday life. Through qualitative methods, we delve into the interpretation and meanings given to a series of Buddhist handicrafts, such as a Buddha statue, prayer wheel, flag, and other symbolic craft. Our aim is to examine how the assigned symbolic meanings of craft correlate with the interpreted meaning given to craft by respondents as an activity in relation to their well-being. The paper is grounded in the theoretical implications of iconography and reception analysis. The outcomes reveal the therapeutic nature of craft as a meaningful symbol of living architecture for those involved in the interpretation and consumption of handicrafts. The significance and symbolic meaning of handicrafts are defined as the meaning and value, the feelings and experiences of use, and the social and cultural dimensions associated with craft as a stress-relieving, mind-calming activity and in maintaining well-being. Finally, the study’s outcome leads to the development of the theoretical contribution of ‘Iconic Interactionism’ detailed in the paper’s last section.