kougei no sakusha to jidai o shirabemashita.

I researched the craftwork's creator and historical period.

Breakdown of kougei no sakusha to jidai o shirabemashita.

• を: direct object particle
• と: noun-connector particle
• の: possessive case particle
• 調しらべる: to check

Questions & Answers about kougei no sakusha to jidai o shirabemashita.

Why is の used in 工芸の作者?

の links nouns together. In this sentence, 工芸の作者 means the creator of the craft or the artist/maker of the craft work.

A simple way to think about it is:

• A の B = B of A / B related to A

So here:

• 工芸 = craft, handicraft, craftwork
• 作者 = creator, author, maker
• 工芸の作者 = the creator of the craft

Does 工芸の作者と時代 mean the creator and era of the craft, or could it mean three separate things: the craft, the creator, and the era?

It means the creator and the era of the craft.

The grouping is:

• 工芸の modifies both 作者 and 時代

So the sentence is understood as:

• 工芸の作者と工芸の時代を調べました

Japanese often avoids repeating the same noun when it is clear from context.

It does not normally mean:

• I researched the craft, the creator, and the era

If that were the meaning, the sentence would usually be written more clearly in a different way.

What does と do here?