ALL
embroidery
ICH Elements 46
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Traditional knowledge related to the Kyrgyz ornaments
The ornament adorns all the objects surrounding the Kyrgyz from the moment of birth to the end of life. Nowadays, ornaments are very popular and used not only for decorating yurts and utensils but also for festive attires, jewelry, and souvenirs. Kyrgyz gave the patterns their own names identifying them with elements of their own and surroundings in the world around them. The shape of the symbols has reached us through the ages, almost unchanged. Kyrgyz ornaments include simple geometrical symbols, floral patterns, images of animals (both living and fantastic), nature, and stylized images of people. One of the most popular patterns are: ram’s horns, which repeats the image of this animal and represents prosperity or Umai ene, winged woman with a child, a spirit that represents fertility and protects mothers and babies. There are several types of Kyrgyz ornamental patterns: 1.\tPatterns symbolizing landscapes and other natural objects and processes such as Earth, a spring, eternal movement, Sun, Venus, star constellations, day and night, equinox; 2.\tPatterns symbolizing elements of animal kingdom such as raven claw, goose foot, ram horns, goat horns, a bird wing, a dog tail; 3.\tPatterns symbolizing elements of flora such as almond, clover, pomegranate, tulip; 4.\tPatterns symbolizing household objects as a comb, a lock, tip of a knife, köökör, a vessel for fermented milk; 5.\tPatterns with anthropomorphic elements.
Kyrgyzstan -
TOQIDUZI tuppiduzi
Craft of making embroidered skull-caps with different fabrics. There are different kinds of such traditional caps, like toqii chakan, zarduzi, iroqi, chusti and etc. Traditional caps are used by men, women, and children. Old men wear that under their turbans.
Tajikistan -
Falconry, custom to hunt with eagles
The tradition of domestication of falcon, hawk and eagles, and train them to the hunting has transmitted in world countries from the ancient time until today. The tradition to hunt with eagles is widely practiced among Kazakh ethnic groups of Mongolia. The custom of hunting with eagles is not only the daily necessity of life, but a great contribution to the development of a sport, competitions and festivals. Hunters develop a strong relationship and spiritual bond with their birds, and strong commitment and care is required to train, handle and fly the eagles. Traditional equipments such as hood, bewit, jess (short strap around the leg of an eagle), gauntlet (gloves), immovable seat, fork supporter on a horse, feeding bag and cup are used for the falconry.
Mongolia -
ZARDUZI
A kind of sewing ornaments on the fabrics with yellow-golden threads. Golden embroidered ornaments are used in the different dresses. Together with threads are applied jewelers, small precious stones, marbles and etc.
Tajikistan -
DARAVSHDUZI, yirmadizi, yurmaduzi
A traditional kind of embroidering the fabrics for sewing dresses, scarf, curtain and other articles. It is performed in tambourine with special tool daravsh (awl).
Tajikistan -
QUROQDUZI, poraduzi, quramaduzi, tarkduzi, gulburi
A traditional method of embroidering the fabrics with small parts of fabrics. Qurog embroidered fabric can be used for sewing dresses, tablecloth, blanket, scarf, curtain and other articles.
Tajikistan -
Margilan Crafts Development Centre, safeguarding of the atlas and adras making traditional technologies
Historically, Margilan was the centre for making atlas and adras – vivid and fine traditional fabrics. Due to the acute need to revive and safeguard traditions at risk of disappearing, the local community came up with an initiative to launch the Crafts Development Centre (CDC) in 2007. The CDC’s goal is to safeguard, develop and promote the method of Uzbek traditional atlas and adras making through innovative training sessions, exhibitions and craft fairs, traditional textile festivals, and the publication of safeguarding materials and manuals. The CDC also promotes the use of natural materials, and supports the transmission of knowledge and skills about nature and the universe and their role in ensuring people’s health and wellbeing.
Uzbekistan 2017 -
BOLISHTDUZI, tagsariduzi
A kind of women handcraft. Bolisht means pillow. Women masters sew different kinds of embroidered pillows.
Tajikistan -
Costume Decoration Art of the Xá Phó
Costume Decoration Art is associated with Xá Phó women's costumes such as square head scarves, shirts, and skirts. According to traditional beliefs, Xá Phó women must know how to grow cotton, weave fabric, dye indigo, cut, piece, sew, and embroider costumes. The patterns shown on the costumes are mainly embroidered and beaded. The main color of Xá Phó's clothes is black indigo. They use red, blue, yellow, and white colors to dye thread to embroider patterns on costumes and accessories. In the overall indigo color of the entire outfit, Xá Phó women have chosen and coordinated the following colors: white, red, green, and bright yellow are the main colors of the square head scarf; The upper part of the shirt is white, red and has vertical patterns; The middle shirt is mainly red, mixed with a little white with horizontal patterns; The hem of the shirt is darker red than the middle part of the shirt; The sleeves are indigo, indigo mixed with white, and light red; indigo skirt waistband; The skirt body is structured with red, white - indigo - red, white - indigo patterned strips and the skirt part is a brilliant red patterned strip. Thus, it can be seen that symmetry is an important and dominant principle in the art of color mixing of the Xá Phó people. Creating patterns of the Xá Phó people includes realistic patterns (geometric-filled shapes, skewed U shapes, rectangles, triangles, etc) and stylized patterns (sun, pine trees, mountain fruits, flowers, leaves, birds, water flow). A highlight in the decorative art of the Xá Phó people is beading. The front of the shirt has 5 vertical rows of beads attached and around it is a rosette pattern (four-petaled flower).
Viet Nam -
Jim-zo: Clay Sculpture
Jimzo is a traditional art of forming religious images. Jim means "clay" and Zo means "art", literally "clay art". In Bhutan, it can be traced back to the 7th century, to the time of Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo (569–649?), who is believed to have built 108 Lhakhangs (temples), under which the pioneering Buddhist temples such as Kichu and Jampa Lhakhangs were built. Various clay paintings from different centuries, beginning with the time of Guru Rinpoche, attest to the existence of clay art in Bhutan much earlier. In the time of Terton Pema Lingpa (1450-1521), this art became popular. Towards the end of the 17th century, the art was codified and included by the fourth Desi (temporary ruler) Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye (1638–1696), as one of the thirteen arts and crafts of Bhutan. Later, at the time of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (1594-1651) in the 17th century, a very skilled sculptor named Trulku Dzing was invited to Bhutan. Trulku Dzing erected numerous clay figures in Punakha and Wangduephodrang Dzong. The art was later codified and included as one of the thirteen traditional arts and crafts of Bhutan by the 4th Druk Desi (temporary ruler) Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye in the late 17th century. Since then the art of sculpting has been maintained and passed from teacher to students over many generations until today. Bhutanese jim zop (sculptors) are known for the quality and intricacy of creating delicate clay sculptures. They practice sculpting as a pious act since it is based on the iconographic principles of Buddhist art. It is very important to adhere to the rules that prescribe the precise measurement of the body structure in relation to the limbs, postures, eyes, ears, fingers and nose and the body tints, garments and ornaments. a. Religious Statues and Ritual Objects: Sculptors make clay statues, ritual objects and tsha tsha (miniature clay stupa) and clay masks worn during festivals. Numbers of exceedingly fine and intricate religious sculptures and ritual objects made of clay can be seen in every temple, monastery, and the dzongs of Bhutan. These clay sculptures vary in sizes, varying from tiny statues to over twenty feet. There are clay sculptures of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, various deities, gods, goddesses and prominent religious figures which depict the foundation of faith, worship and reverence for the Buddhists. b. Types of Clay used in Sculpting: Clay is the basic material for making sculptures. A special kind of clay can be found deposited in small quantities between mud and gravels usually in marshy areas. Sculptors use the best quality clay as the images and objects they make must stand against the change of weather for generations. Clay is processed into three different forms; tsa dam, kong dam, and jim dam. Each one is used for a specific purpose. Tsa dam is made by mixing clay powder with daesho (paper made from daphne plants) in the ratio of 7:3. If paper is not available, pulps made from the raw bark of daphne plant are used as substitute. This mixture prevents the mud from disintegrating when dried. Tsa dam is used for moulding the basic structure of the statue. Kong dam is prepared in the same way as tsa dam, but by adding more water to make the clay relatively thinner and softer. Kong dam is applied over the basic structure moulded from tsa dam to give proper shape to the statue. Generally the proprietor adds any or all of the seven precious substances (gold, silver, and turquoise, and coral, pearl, bronze and any other precious stones) to tsa dam and kong dam in order to increase the aura of the statue. Jim dam is applied as the final and finishing touch to the statue. To prepare jin dam; the clay powder is mixed with water and then stirred thoroughly until it turns into a thin paste. It is then filtered with the help of a thin cloth. The thin filtered paste is collected in a utensil and then placed on fire until the water component is evaporated. What is left in the pot is a very fine powder. This powder is then mixed with daphne papier mache to give it the binding strength which prevents the clay from cracking. This mixture is again mixed with water and stirred and applied to give the final touches to the statue. c. Process of Clay Sculpting: Clay sculpting process starts with the measurement of the space available where the statue will be kept later, or the size required by the owner/sponsor. Accordingly, the basic structural frame is made by using copper wires for smaller statues, iron or steel rods for bigger statues as support. Steel rods are wrapped with copper wire to add the value of the object. Gold and silver wires are considered the best to make the basic frame. The frame is added with tsa dam while the internal part is left hollow for zung to be inserted later. When the tsa dam on the structure dries perfectly, kong dam is applied over it to give all the external physical features, forms and the attires. The parts such as hands and head are made separately and attached later to the body for smaller statues, though the head of bigger statues are made directly with the statue. The sculptor must ensure that the parts made separately are proportionate to the whole structure. Any part of the statue that is not proportionate to the whole body is considered an impious act of the sculptor and therefore must be avoided at all cost. Sculpting is a tedious job, requiring the sculptor to apply the wooden chisel again and again to fill any gaps or remove the lumps over and over again. The statues are left for a long time to allow the clay to dry naturally, and to develop minor cracks which are also left unrepaired to allow air to pass for rapid drying. When no more cracks appear, it means the clay has dried up completely. The cracks are then repaired with tsa dam by mixing with glue. Once this is done, the sculptures are ready for final layers of finishing using jin dam. At this stage the sculpture is finally ready for zung (the inner relic). Learners have to undergo rigorous training for several years under a master sculptor known as Jimzo lopoen. As sculpting for religious purpose is considered a spiritual act, sculptors have to choose the most auspicious day and time to start a project. Once completed, an expert (usually a monk) will insert a zung shing or sog shing (a strut inside the statue as its backbone) and zung consisting of written mantras and other precious substances. Then the statue is painted using appropriate colours. Upon completion of all these steps, a drub or rabney ceremony is conducted by an accomplished lama. The painters and sculptors are highly regarded for their profession.
Bhutan -
Shag-zo: Wood Turning
Wood turned utensils and dishes were present in Bhutan since ancient times. Communities from different parts of Bhutan have a similar type of craft as cups and plates are necessary for all household meals. However, the labour-intensive wood turned lacquer wares from Yangtse earned a considerable reputation in the kingdom. About a century-old traditional woodturning art (Shag-zo) in Yangtse is still a vibrant and popular means of family business and occupation. The present young artisans in Yangtse who are in their 20s and early 30s are the fifth-generation descendants of Lobazang from Kham in Tibet. Like other crafts of Bhutan, Shagzo demands a long process. The extracted wood knots and burls have to be dried; soaked in water; roughly shaped (first turned); roughly turned bowls are boiled; dried again; final turned bowls are smoothened with sandpapers and dried leaves of Trema politoria (locally known as Sog sogpa-shing). After colouring them yellow or red, it becomes ready for the next step – lacquering. Lacquering is another time-consuming process. Traditionally, lacquerers mostly use an urushiol-based lacquer common in East Asia derived primarily from toxic wax trees known as Sey Shing in Yangtse. These wooden bowls are an integral part of both the Bhutanese and Tibetan lifestyles and this explains the high demand for these products in Tibet. In the medieval period, people from Yangtse and Bumdeling traded wooden plates (not Dhapas) and bowls (cups) to Assam (India) and Go-phors (wooden bowl with lid), Lha-phor (bowl with lid used by monks), Dra-phor (bigger than other Phobs originally used by Tibetan Drapas), and Bay-phor (used by Tibetans, and has a deeper interior than Bhutanese hobs) to people of Tibet. Other than products historically exported to Assam and Tibet, Shagzopas make varieties of wood-turned products.
Bhutan -
Troe-zo: Gold/Silversmithy
Gold and silver smithy or metal carving had flourished in the country for a long time as evident from the ornaments worn by women and religious artefacts in monasteries and temples. This art is still being practiced and transmitted. It is a highly specialized art form. A special class of craftsmen called Troe-ko make jewelry of gold and silver and other items such as swords, boxes, teapots, and various ornaments of silver, often thinly plated with gold. Traditional symbols such as the dragon and other beautiful motifs are engraved on the objects. Silverwork is also found on the pillars of temples, altar tables, jewelry and other religious items. Using precious stones and metals such as coral, turquoise, silver and gold, these artisans make brooches, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, amulets with religious content, traditional vessels (Chaka and Trimi) for carrying the much-chewed beetle nut, ritual objects and much more.
Bhutan