Master Artisan
Within the Colorado Rogues The Master Artisan is a Ship Officer rank, their emblem is a skull with two crossed paintbrushes above the standard officer rank of two crossed bones. The Master Artisan is the head of ship or fleet-themed design. He may work with standard crew such as the Tailor, Painter or Leathersmith.
History
In Europe during the Middle Ages artisans usually organised into guilds. Guilds were associations of master artisans that were granted charters by the local sovereign authority. The guilds controlled all aspects of production and distribution to ensure quality and to prevent competition from outside markets. Along with merchants, artisans occupied the middle tier of the European and Indian social hierarchy, below the landowning aristocrats and above the agricultural workers. In contrast, Japan's Edo period artisan class was ranked below the samurai and the agricultural workers, and above the merchants.
To become an artisan in the guilds, a person worked under a master artisan as an unpaid apprentice at a young age. If the apprentice completed the training, the apprentice became a paid journeyman. For a journeyman to become a master artisan, he would have to produce a masterpiece that met the standards of the guild.
Master Artisan Associations
Unless otherwise decided by the Captain, these ranks are always crew.
Cooper
Traditionally, a cooper is someone who makes wooden barrels, casks, buckets and other similar wooden objects. The word is derived from cupa, the Latin word for vat. Cask making is referred to as cooperage. A barrel is technically a measure of the size of a cask, so the term "barrel-maker" cannot be used synonymously with "cooper" as it is incorrect. In addition, the facility in which casks are made is referred to as a cooperage.
Traditionally there were 3 divisions in the cooper's craft: The "Dry Cooper" made containers that hold dry goods like cereals, gunpowder, nails etc. The "White Cooper" made washtubs, buckets, butter churns etc that would hold water and other liquids, but that did not allow long term storage of liquids. Usually there was no bending of wood involved in white cooperage. The "Wet Cooper" made Casks and Barrels, for long term storage and transportation of liquids that could even be under pressure (like beer).
Artist
On a ship, the artist might be commissioned to create various pieces that pertain to the heraldry and theme of the ship, such as flags, sashes, artwork, etc.. Artists may be skilled in a single or various mediums and find creative ways to contribute to the fantasy and theme of the Ship.
Other Possible Titles
Because the title can encompass a variety of different specialties, Artisan Associates within the Rogues may be bestowed a title to beter describe their specific craft. These titles include, but are not limited to:
- Leathersmith
- Artisane d'Art
- Painter
- Tailor
