ALL
horsehair
ICH Elements 5
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Traditional knowledge in making musical instruments
There are many musical instruments in Kyrgyzstan. The most iconic is the komuz, a three-stringed instrument resembling a small guitar. The body of the komuz is made of a whole piece of apricot or juniper wood, and sometimes of walnut or redwood. The tool head of the instrument has three wooden hitch-pins to which ends of strings are attached. The other ends of strings go to a bridge located on the table (deque) right in front of the tone-hole. Mutton guts were used as strings until recent times. The length of komuz is no longer than 85- 90 sm. Alternatives of the tuning of komuz is one its unique features, which are, in their turn, linked with a chosen type of musical composition. It is played by hands. Kyl-kiyak (or kiyak) is a stringed instrument with a bow. It is made of the same woods as the komuz. The instrument has two strings. It is a ladle-shaped instrument with an open upper half; its lower part is covered with camel leather. The length of kiyak is no longer than 70 sm. Untwisted horsehair is used for strings and bow. The fiddle for the bow is made of a specific plant, meadowsweet. Temir komuz is a mouth plucking instrument made of the metal only (temir - metallic). It is U-shaped and 6-7 centimeters long. Materials used to make it are brass, bronze or copper. The metal reed is fixed in the middle of a “plug” of the instrument, which is held by fingers of the right hand. When played, temir komuz is held near the mouth, which is a natural resonator. The whole performing apparatus, including lips, voice box, hands, and even lungs of the musician, is used in each tone. Chopo-choor (clay chor) is an ancient wind instrument. At present, it is spread in a ceramic form and has a regular oblong shape of 20 centimeters in length and 8 centimeters in width. Performer holds it with lips and fingers holes that are arranged along the length of the instrument. Dobulbash is a national percussion instrument, representing one-sided drum, which is covered by the leather. Height of its corpus, which is cut out of a juniper, is no longer than 60 centimeters; diameter of the membrane, which is covered by camel’s leather, is 25-30 centimeters. Notes from the drum are elicited by the tail point of the Kyrgyz whip (kamchy) or palms. The instrument sounds loudly, resonantly, and lastingly.
Kyrgyzstan -
Gannil (Horsehair Hat Making)
National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea The gat, a traditional Korean hat, was an essential item of attire for men whenever they went out in public. It was referred to by several different names including Heungnip, Chillip, or Pyeongnip. Gannil, the method of making these hats with fine bamboo strips or horsehair, involved a complex series of techniques in which the chongmoja (the cup-shaped upper part of the hat) and the yangtae (its brim) were produced first, and then combined in a process called ipja, which consisted in covering the headgear with silk fabric and lacquering. The demand for Korean bamboo hats declined sharply after the proclamation of the topknot decree and the introduction of Western culture including western-style clothing in the 20th century. The heritage is currently preserved in Tongyeong, Yecheon and Jeju.
South Korea -
Tanggeonjang (Horsehair Hat Making)
National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Tanggeon is an inner hat made of horsehair or cow tail hair, which was worn by men before putting on gat (traditional hat). Men used to wear it when staying home. Tanggeonjang refers to the skill of making tanggeon, or to an artisan with such a skill. Jejudo Island, where many horses were raised, was the main site for production of tanggeon. There are three types of tanggeon, depending on how they were woven, single-layer ones, double-layer ones, and those with square patterns. Tanggeon were made with square patterns for better appearance as they came to be used simply as hats.
South Korea -
Manggeonjang (Horsehair Headband Making)
National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Men wore manggeon (horsehair headband) to keep their hair tidy before putting on gat (traditional hat). Manggeonjang refers to the skill of making manggeon, or to an artisan with such a skill. Manggeon is composed of dang (top fastening band), pyeonja (bottom fastening band), the net-like part covering the forehead, and the part covering the back of the head. Gwanja (ring-shaped button) and pungjam (hairband ornament) were used to indicate the person’s social status or for adornment. Human hair was also used to make manggeon.
South Korea -
Kobyz - Traditional musical instrument and the art of playing
Kobyz (kaz. 'qobyz', 'qyl-qobyz') - is an ancient Kazakh bow two-stringed musical instrument and an essential attribute of rites conducted voodoo ('baqsy', 'qam') - a shaman. Kobyz belongs to the class of chordophones. It is manufactured by the special manufacturing technology from a single piece of wood - juniper (arsha, archa), maple, pine or birch. Kobyz id subdivided into three functional parts: 'bas' - a head, upper part, middle part; 'Keude' (base) - a middle part - is made in the form of an open cup, extended downward. Inside the cup is attached mirror. The bottom part - ayak (legs) part of the tool is tightened with camel skin ('deka'). The support (tiek) is based on the bottom part. Sounds of kobyz, removed by rubbing with a bow-string. The bow has an arcade shape and resembles a bow weapon: the bun of horsehair is tied to both ends of the bent branch and fixed by the strong thread of camel wool. Strings for kobyz are made of a bundle of 30-60 non-woven horsehair ('qyl'), which give a very dense timbre rich in overtones. General instrument construction and its decoration detail were combined into an integral system that reflected the inner world and the philosophy of the Kazakhs. The tradition of making kobyz and playing of kobyz music was very specific for traditional environment and professional communities.
Kazakhstan