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Yig-zo: Calligraphy
  • Manage No, Sortation, Country, Writer ,Date, Copyright
    Manage No EE00002092
    Country Bhutan
    ICH Domain Traditional craft skills
    Address
    According to the List of Record maintained by the Royal Kangyur Project, Thimphu, most of the talented calligraphers come from a remote community of Bartsham, Trashigang district and few practitioners from other districts across the country.
    Year of Designation 1971
Description The Art of Calligraphy and writing is not only the fundamental need of academic knowledge but it is also an essential skill required preserving and promoting religious teachings. It not only requires academic intellects but most important the hand-skill of calligraphy. The origin of the calligraphy as per Lam (Spiritual master) Ugyen Tenzin Yoezer, popularly known as Lopen Nado, who was then the Advisor to the Department of Education on Dzongkha Development in Bhutan says that, there was a natural system of using words and phrases in oral communications such as conversations, discussions, and official announcements, consistent with the general practice. Development of the system of communication through the writing of letters and documentation had not been widespread. During the second visit of Guru Padmasambhava to Bumthang was in the 8th century, he was accompanied by one of his 25 principal disciples’ names Denmang Tsemang. At that time Guru Padmasambava gave the sacred teachings of the Secret Mantra to the King Sindhu Raja, but it was said that there was no system of writing in the country that time. So, it was Denma Tsemang who transcribed the transmitted teachings for the King’s practices and thus the beginning of the tradition of writing in Bhutan. Thereafter in the 15th century, Terton Pema Lingpa (1450-5121) transmitted the writing tradition to his heirs until the dawn of 17th century when Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (1594-1651) established the State Government by initiating the Monastic Body where the Calligraphy section (Yig-zoi-de) was particularly set for the monks to impart and learn art of calligraphy. It was necessary not only or writing and learning for oneself but, for the woodblock engraving projects that was thriving in Punakha Dzong initiated mainly for the flourishment of the Buddhist teaching in the country. Later, the art was perpetuated and practiced by the successive Je Khenpos (chief abbot) and Druk Desis (temporal secular rulers) and Monarchs until now. Some of the remarkable calligraphers that are enlisted in the Bhutanese history were; 1. Denma Tsemang 9th century 2. Ngawang Penjor as Dzongpon and Ngedup Penjor (1964) 3. Drungyig Zimchenpa Tandin Wanggyel 17th century 4. Lopen Wangdue 17th century 5. Lopen Phuentso 17th century 6. Tshewang Dorji 17th century 7. Lopen Gangchen, also called Kuenga Pelden, 19th century during the reign of Desi Jigma Namgyal (1825-1881) 8. Drungyig Tshewang Ngodrup, 19th century during the reign of His Majesty the 1st King Ugyen Wangchuck (1862–1926) 9. Gonpo Tenzin from Lingzhi, 19th century during the reign of His Majesty the 1st King Ugyen Wangchuck 10. Zhongar Dzongpon Kuenzang Wangdue, 20th century during the reign of His Majesty the 2nd King Jigme Wangchuck (1862–1926) 11. Drungyig Tsowo Dasho Kezang Dawa, during the reign of His Majesty the 2nd King Jigme Wangchuck (1862–1926) 12. Tangbi Kezang, during the reign of His Majesty the 2nd King Jigme Wangchuck (1862–1926) 13. Ura Yeshey Wangdi, during the reign of His Majesty the 2nd King Jigme Wangchuck (1862–1926) 14. Sonam Peljor, 15. Dasho Gaydon Thinley Dorji (?) 20th century during the reign of His Majesty the 2nd and 3rd King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck (1929–1972) 16. Dasho Shingkhar Lam Kuenzang Wangchuk (?) 17. Sey Dopola Aka Dasho Phuntsho Wangdi (1892-1953) 18. Lam Norbu Wangchuk (?), 21st century during the reign of His Majesty the 4th King Jigme Singye Wangchuck (1955–) 19. Yarab Aja Lama Drodul Zhenphen Dorji Tenzin (1921-2005) 20. Lam Pema Tshewang, (1926-2009), 21. Lopen Gonpo Tenzin from Chumey, Bumthang 22. Lam Nado from Namgyal Dratshang (?) 23. Dasho Tenzin Dorji (1928-2012) 24. Lam Tenzin from Ramjar, Tashi Yangtse 25. Chabje Geshey Gedhun Rinchen (1926-1997) 26. Chabje Khenchen Ngawang Tenzin Doendup, 68th Je Khenpo (1925-2020) 27. Lopen Daupo from Bartsham 28. Lam Kuenzang Wangdi (aka Lam Nyingkhula) 29. Lopen Yonten Gyaltshen, Central Monastic Body 30. Dasho Sangay Wangchuk Generally, there are five types of calligraphy writing; U-chen (Block script), U-mey (Headless script), Len-tsa (Rajana script), War-tu (a type of Indian script) and finally the Jog-yig (the typical Bhutanese script). Amongst these scripts, Len-tsa and War-tu scripts are mainly used as decorative scripts, while U-chen is more common in writing Buddhist canons, ritual scripts and even for the formal corresponding letters and Jog-yig script is just for writing formal records and corresponding letters. Regarding U-mey script, though it is rare to its usage bring a Tibetan script but there are some calligraphers knowing how to write. However, the tradition of writing i.e. Calligraphy has been greatly hampered and left on the verge of dying tradition due to the emergence of computer technology and available fonts in the country. Yet, there are still well known and skilled calligraphers which are mostly used by His Majesty’s Kangyur Project for writing Golden Scriptures of Buddhist Canon and even by some individual Spiritual masters which have helped in reviving and revitalizing the art in the country.
Social and cultural significance Having knowledge is having a full package of knowledge to oneself. The person can also help both religious and secular community by writing scriptures and imparting the skill to the younger generations. Calligraphers who involve themselves in writing sacred scriptures as said to be blessed with good fortunes, will be blessed in the future and sanctifies the area where scripture writing project is initiated. In such Projects, locals out of faith and to contribute in those wholesome activities, they usually sponsor in contributing cash to buy necessities and kinds like; serving tea and snacks, lunch and dinner as well.
Transmission method Perfecting this art requires primarily an adequate academic knowledge esp. literature as well as hand-skill known as Lag-tsel. There are some people having scholarly wisdom but lacks hand-skill and those bestowed with artistic skill lacks the intellectual therefore, it is a rare thing to have well equipped and gifted person having both the knowledge. Therefore, alike to the any arts, learning calligraphy too need a professional teacher under their guidance, a student should first learn the basic academic knowledge and simultaneously the procedures of holding calligraphy pen and its relevant skills, drawing lines for accurate proportions and then learn how to write on a paper or on a note book. In olden days, it is said that a student first learns the fundamental literature course of alphabets, vowels, pre-suffixes and post-suffixes etc.. Along with the course, before holding a pen and a paper to learn calligraphy, one undergoes learning calligraphy using traditional learning tools like; Sa-zhong and Sam-tra (a wooden flat plank) with spilled soil dust and a stick. Student draw exact lines on the dust and learn writing. However, these days, students learn directly on the handwriting book and readily available pen and pencils due to the blessings of modern facility. After gaining the hand balance and basic knowledge of script’s proportions, then steps forward to making Si (Calligraphy pen) out of special reed or bamboo and ink out of smoke sooth. Writing process is just like learning the elementary knowledge. 1. Learn how to write heading decorative (Go-gen) 2. Then in serial wise the alphabets 3. Usage of vowels with the alphabets 4. Strokes and so forth. As mentioned in the Tibetan literatures, there are four important requirements in writing; elegance, speed, equal or evenness and faultless. According to its importance; faultless or without mistake comes the first then subsequently, equal, speed and lastly the elegance therefore, indirectly, having good sound of literature is seems to be the most important in the art of calligraphy. In addition, it is also said that, if a calligrapher possess; evenness, precision, clean, elegant, speed and faultless while writing, the person holds the title of a Scholar.
Community Following is the list of calligraphers involved in writing Golden Scripture of Kangyur under the King’s Project. 1. Lopen Kunzang Tobgay 2. Sonam Tobgay 3. Tshampa Norbu Wangchuk 4. Tenzin 5. Choki Gyeltshen 6. Dorji 7. Sonam Dorji 8. Sithar Wangchuk 9. Chador Phuntshog 10. Tshering Duba 11. Pema Tashi 12. Sonam Wangdi 13. Sonam Private individuals: 1. Lam Ugyen Tenzin (Monastic Body) 2. Lopen Yonten Tsondru (Monastic Body) 3. Lopen Wangdi Gyentshen, Lobesa, Punakha (Monastic Body) 4. Lopen Dung Dorji, Dhur, Bumthang 5. Lopen Yonten Phuntsho, Tsakaling, Mongar 6. Lopen Ugyen Dorji, Lhuntse 7. Lopen Yeshey Namgyal, Gyetsa, Bumthang (National Library & Archives of Bhutan) 8. Yeshi Lhendup Begana, Thimphu (National Library & Archives of Bhutan) Data collected by: Mr. Yeshi Lhendup, NLAB
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Information source
National Library and Archives of Bhutan
https://www.library.gov.bt/archive/

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