Angklung is a simple, original bamboo musical instrument of Indonesia documented since at least 1704. The word Angklung comes from the Sudanese angkleung-angkleungan. Angka means pitch/tone, and lung means broken. 2-4 bamboo resonating tubes carved and tuned carefully are suspended in a rectangular partitioned frame made of white bamboo tightly bound with rattan cords. Lugs on the bottom of the tubes move in rectangular shaped slots in the bamboo base tube of the frame. The resonator tubes sound when the frame is shaken or tapped. The 2 or 3 resonating tubes are tuned to the same note in different octaves. There are also 3 and 4 tube angklungs with tubes tuned to the notes of a chord. Making and tuning the resonator tubes is a great skill taking years to master. Udjo Ngalagena, founder of Saung Angklung Udjo, referred to the sound of angklung as ‘the music of nature'. The form of the angklung itself contains symbolism and philosophical values. The large and small tubes symbolize that the great, strong and rich must always protect and shelter the small, weak and poor. Each angklung has at least 2 resonating tubes, symbolizing that human beings should never isolate themselves or be egoistic, but rather always live within a society. The tubes are arrayed from small to large. This symbolizes that every day, human beings must strive to be better than yesterday, and that some people are created small and some big, but there is nothing to be regretted, as it is all due to fate. The angklung will sound nicely if the large and small tubes move at the same time, within their limits. This symbolizes that if everyone is aware of his or her rights and responsibilities, life will be harmonious. The tubes will sound if the lugs at their bottom ends touch the base tube of the frame. Similarly, one may become great, speak and be of good character if one does not forget one’s identity and culture, while if one forgets then one cannot become anything. The three tubes of an angklung symbolize tritangtu, (in Bali trihitakarana) -- to perform good action with mind, body and words. Each angklung produces a single note or chord. Thus many players each holding a single instrument must collaborate together to play melodies. This develops teamwork, mutual respect (learning to live together), discipline, and artistic sense, even among players from different communities or nationalities. Traditional angklungs use pentatonic scale, while modern/Padaeng angklungs use dialtonic scale. Angklung is closely related with traditional customs, arts and cultural identity in West Java and Banten Provinces and elsewhere. Traditional angklungs are played during ceremonies, eg. rice planting time with the hope of a bountiful harvest, harvest time, circumcision, etc. Traditional angklung culture is transmitted from parents to children, or through non-formal education. Now modern Angklung Padaeng is taught in educational institutions from kindergarten to university level, and is proven to have a positive effect.

Indonesia 2010

Regong Arts mainly refer to Buddhism formative arts such as Thangka, mural, barbola, sculpture on which Tibetan and Tu folk handicraftsmen depend to pass on their making knowledge and manual technical skills. The content of Regong Arts consists of Tibetan Buddhism, mythical stories, epics and traditional knowledge. And the main painting materials include painting cloth, painting brush, dyestuff, prepared Chinese ink, red soil, silk and glue. Thangka, mural, barbola, and sculpture are widely used in Tibetan Buddhism temples and farmers’ or herdsmen’s houses. Every handicraftsman has his own fixed place to make material objects. Regong Arts have originated in 13th century and stemmed mainly from Tibetan Mantang school. After they were introduced into Regong area, Regong Arts have formed an important distinctive school of Tibetan Buddhism arts. Regong Arts have various forms with unique features. 1. Thangka, the pronunciation of its Tibetan counterpart, refers to religious scroll paintings which are used to worship Buddha, myths and figures who invented some useful technology after being mounted with colourful satin. The main technological process of making Thangka is as follows: first, the fine white cloth or coarse linen should be stretched on a wooden embroidery frame; secondly, base powder and thin glue sheet are used at the bottom and polished; thirdly, according to the content, the painter draws an outline with charcoal pencils made by himself about religious figures, birds and beasts and flowers and trees, etc.; fourthly, the painter puts the glue into various natural minerals and animals or plants dyes, and then he uses these painting materials to draw the picture with the special painting brush; finally, the finished picture is mounted carefully. Thangka is famous for its sophisticated workmanship, contents and bright colors in the world. 2. Barbola is a kind of Thangka made from silk fabric. Its main forms are Barbola Thangka, Barbola veiling, Barbola column ornaments etc. It is made from silk and brocade where pictures, figures, animals and plants are accurately cutting and sewn. Its techniques and effects take place in two forms: soft relief which combines folk embroidery and filled relief; and pasted and patched soft fabric which are cut to make different forms. Barbola has the strong stereoscopic image. 3. Regong sculpture comprises clay sculpture in addition to wooden sculpture, stone inscription, brick sculpture etc. Clay sculpture takes place in two forms: multi-colour and single-colour. Its process includes selection and finalization, clay processing, keel structuring, filling in, outline shaping, partial adjustment and inlaying gold lines or colour painting etc. Rafters, vaults, sunk panels, column ornaments, and tubular lections in temples and door curtains, credences, tea tables and lection cabinets in farmers’ or herdsmen’s houses are all sophisticated wooden sculptures. Stone inscription is that lections are imprinted on the slates or figures of Buddha are made in an intaglio plate. In addition, there is relief used in the stack of lection stones. After being created, Regong Arts are passed on generations by generations. Regong Arts are manual skills grasped by some villagers. Based on the special art forms, they combine traditional knowledge with history memory and come the Arts down. The art forms are widely recognized by dwellers in Tibetan communities and traditional craftsmen in China. At present, 520 folk artists engage in the artistic creation of Regong Arts. Passing on the Arts mainly takes place between fathers and children, or between masters and apprentices. Inheritors can be monks or folk artists. When learning Thangka, Barbola or sculpture, the painters must strictly follow the Buddhism painting book Lection of Measurement, starting from line-drawing, figure shaping, colour matching, pattern design and sizing. Regong Arts are featured with the unification of Tibetan Buddhism and traditional culture. Its influence can be found in surrounding provinces such as Tibet, Gansu, Inner Mongolia, Yunnan, Sichuan, and even South-eastern Asian countries.

China 2009

Sybyzgy (kaz. "syb" - whisper, whispering, "yz" - buzzing, rattling, "gy" - the end of the word, the term, meaning hissing sound) is one of the most ancient and fascinating with specific magical sounding wind instrument of traditional musical life. Popularity of sybyzgy among folk musicians explained by the simplicity of the forms and the availability of the material from which it is made - the hollow stem of the umbrella plant -kurai (“qurai”). Name of the musical instrument comes from the specific of pronunciation of the Kazakh coloristic tembroideal sound ө which arises from the sensitivity of auditory perception overtones. However, the pure sound of sybyzgy related to timbre coloring and the sounds it produces something trembling, resembling high flute. Therefore, the people say: “Sybyzgynyng bezildegen uni” (“sad, crying sound of sybyzgy”). Sybyzgy is made from cane, as well as of wood and copper. From three to five holes were made in the hollow cane. Technique of playing on sybyzgy is difficult, despite the primitive nature of the instrument. However, this kind of design can give a deep, “natural” tone and rich overtones sounds. Three holes in the tool allow you to use more than two octaves. Masters performers on sybyzgy noted three method to extract the sound: the sound of the instrument, the sound resonates from the sound hole and the throat.

Phù Lãng pottery making was taught to the villagers by the founder of the craft, Mr. Lưu Phong Tú, around the Trần dynasty, 14th century, and has developed to this day. The primary products are pottery with brown glaze and related colors. Product types include religious ceramics, household appliances, and decorative items with the outstanding feature of using the embossing method in the form of bubble engraving, also known as double engraving, with natural, durable, and unique glaze color; The shape of the ceramic is rustic but strong and very bold in shaping sculpture. The production process is specialized with worker teams: furnace team, broaching team, pattern team, enamel team, and cleaning team. The stages include selecting soil and treating clay; shaping on a rotating table (household ceramics and fine art ceramics) and shaping by printing on wooden molds or terracotta molds (worship ceramics); tick, scrape products; glazing (the material used to make glazing is the ash of forest trees, ash as white as lime; currently we use ash from ironwood, bamboo, wood, lime, crushed pebbles, white alluvial mud); fired with wood to create scratches on the ceramic surface (temperature 1000 degrees Celsius, for 3 days and 3 nights continuously). Products made of Phù Lãng ceramics are lustrous, have an echo when tapped, and come in a variety of eel skin tones, including light yellow, dark yellow, brown, and yellow-brown. There are 3 main product lines: altar ceramics (incense burners, altar stands, tops), household ceramics (vases, jars, pipes) and fine art ceramics (paintings, flower pots, vases, animal-shaped kettles). The soul of Phù Lãng ceramic products is created from the rusticity of this eel skin glaze.

Colorful yurt tent bands (baskur, bau, zhel bau) are made using combination-technique (flat and pile weaving). Yurt bands are an integral part of yurt and easy to produce; they are woven in every region of Kazakhstan. Both the bands and flat-woven carpets are woven on a special narrow loom which is also employed to weave a number of narrow strips that would then be sewn together to create alasha rugs. To achieve the dynamic look of a carpet, alasha were either made from strips of different colors or with designs and pile reliefs. The basic production material is sheep’s wool, goat wool and horse hair, natural cotton and silk fibers. It is also common to add camel or goat wool to warp yarn to add durability. Yurt decorations are best understood starting from the dome or uppermost region of the structure, which was traditionally adorned by patterned baskur and bau bands, and colorful shashak tassels. The baskur strips tied up the roof poles (uyk and kerege) of a yurt and its latticework (kerege) around the perimeter and decorated the joints between the kerege and the dome. The bau bands ran diagonally under the wooden poles and were fastened to outer felt covers. In addition to their functionality, they also served as decoration for the dome of the yurt. The bau and baskur bands were made using a variety of techniques and colors. The shashak tassels were also an important decorative and protective item. Like twinkling stars they shimmered, moved by air entering the yurt through the shanyrak - a circular opening at the top that symbolized the limitless eternal sky. Wall rugs are another significant decorative aspect of Kazakh yurts. These include pile items (tukti kilem, or kaly kilem) and flat-woven textiles (takyr kilem, takta kilem, taz kilem, araby kilem, beskeste kilem, badnas kilem, alasha, and many others). There are also rugs made using chain stitch (loop-type stitches in a continuous row )- tus kilem, biz kilem, and ilme kilem. Carpets adorned the walls of a yurt and served as insulation. They covered its floors and were also used as covers for loaded camels during migration. In addition, they were an indispensable part of a bride's dowry, were given as presents to guests at celebrations, and were used to wrap the dead before burial.

Kazakhstan

Inscribed in 2015 (10.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity Tugging rituals and games of Vietnam have different characteristics, meanings and rules. The element is held as part of village festivals in Spring, a form for communities to pray for abundant harvests and prosperity, marking the start of a new agricultural cycle. Tugging game symbolizes the power of natural forces like the sun, water source that influence the harvests. In some localities, tugging game is associated with the legends of worshiped heroes for their merit in reclaiming the land, fighting against foreign invaders, protecting prosperous life of the people. It is usually held at the communal houses or temples after the rirual of commemoration of local guardian deities finished. The material used for tugging varies from region to region, reflecting the ecological and cultural context of each community, it can be made of bamboo, rattan stems, or ropes. The procedure for selecting teams or players is in accordance to the ritual rules, and the winning or losing team is regulated by customs to express certain religious meanings and the harmony of nature. Nowadays, tugging rituals and games are popularly known as a folk game that is entertaining, sporty and collective.

Cambodia,South Korea,Philippines,Viet Nam 2015

There is a view that Viên Khê Five Perfomances originated from the period of Northern domination (the Tùy Dynasty) associated with the name of Cả Lãng Đại Vương - the son of the leader Le Ngoc. Legend has it that he often went to the villages to join in the fun with the people, thereby teaching and popularizing to the community the songs, chants, and dances he created. Another opinion is that the heritage originated from the Later Le Dynasty, taught to the people by the Ministry of Rites official Nguyen Mong Tuan (originally from Vien Khe). Viên Khê Five Perfomances (Đông Anh Folk Songs) is a system of performances held during festivals in Vien Khe village, Dong Anh commune (Dong Son district - Thanh Hoa province) reflecting the daily life and feelings of farmers, with the wish to pray for rain, pray for sunshine, fight against natural disasters, epidemics, wild animals, and natural forces to protect agricultural production and maintain the growth and prosperity of humans and animals. Over hundreds of years of cultural exchange and acculturation, the system of performances has been enriched, so that today's Viên Khê Five Perfomances has been restored with 12 plays: the Lamp Dance, the Drum and Gong Play, the Ngo Quoc Play (belonging to the Ngu Tro Rủn Dong Khe), the Xiêm Thành Play (Champa), the Tiger Catching Play (Vằn Vương), the Tien Cuoi Play, the Ha Lan Play, the Thủy Play, the Nu Quan Play, the Tú Huần Play (Dong Anh), the Thiếp Play, the Ai Lao Play accompanied by folk songs, creating a unique cultural feature of the Dong Son countryside in general and Dong Khe in particular. The system of performances of Viên Khê Five Perfomances is extremely unique, the most popular is the Lamp Dance: a comprehensive performance with many layers of ancient culture, related to the calendar of wet rice agricultural production. The lantern dance is a dance with lyrics performed by 12 girls in white pants, red shirts, green belts, red scarves, and a lighted lamp on their heads, singing and dancing with graceful movements. The lantern dance refers to the production work of farmers during the year: lighting lamps, planting cotton and bean beds, sowing seedlings, splitting bamboo strips, weaving bamboo, pulling seedlings, transplanting, spinning, weaving, sewing, and harvesting. The performance ends with three dances of “fighting boiled chicken, offering new rice, and offering cakes” to express the gratitude of the people to the gods for a year of bountiful and abundant crops. The performances depict a panoramic picture of the material and spiritual life and aspirations for a better future of the people, imbued with profound humanistic values. The songs and dances in the Viên Khê Five Perfomances system still exist in the people's consciousness, expressing feelings and aspirations for life and indirectly condemning bad habits that existed in the old feudal society. Up to now, Viên Khê Five Perfomances has been restored relatively intact. In 2017, Viên Khê Five Perfomances (Đông Anh Folk Songs) was officially included in the list of national intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism with a system of 12 performances (dance and singing).

Carpet weaving is one of the world's most traditional, conceptual, applied arts. Iranians enjoy a global reputation in carpet weaving and its skills; and carpets of Fars with nomadic and rural characteristics constitute a genuine example. Historically, carpet weaving in Fars province dates back to the seventh century(AH). Carpets of Fars are known as either «Qashqai» or «Khamseh Tribes» carpets. These are the nomads moving between Esfahan and Persian Gulf coasts. Among the tribes of Qashqais, the more prominent are Darre-Shuri, Kashkuli-ye Bozorg, Kashkoli-ye Kuchak, Shesh-Boluki, and Gharache. Due to the immigration requirements, the size of nomadic rugs is usually small; they are, however, beautiful. The stages of Carpet Weaving in Fars Province - Wool cutting The carpets usually utilize wool as the basic material. The men cut the wool of their sheep, skillfully, in spring or autumn. The quality of the wool on each of the eleven sections of the sheep body, and the related colors are different. - Frame(loom) Making The portable frame of nomadic carpets is rectangle in shape, with a metal or wood support; it is placed on the ground. The act of knitting is performed on it. The men construct the frame, too. - Weaving The women convert the wool into strings on spinning wheels or weaving machines. They, masterfully, take care to obtain the best qualities. The spinning wheel is a wooden tool that resembles a big spin; the wool is turned around it from the hand of the knitter, then weaved. The spindle wheel is a wooden structure with the wool being placed in its middle to turn into strings when the wheel turns. - Painting Colors are mainly natural; the main colors are laquer, painted blue, dark blue, brown and white. The plants from whichthe colors are extracted include Madder, Indigo, lettuce leaf, walnut skin, Jashyr, cherry stem and skin of pomegranate. The pigments, so called, Dandane, are elements which allow color stabilization and imprint on the fibers; the most important modants include Alum (Double Aluminum Sulfate), Green Vitriol (Cut Blue), Double Copper Sulfate, Black Vitriol (Double Iron Sulfate). - Knitting While knitting, the women tie the colored strings on the wool web to cover the frame and give shape to the carpet. Two types of ties are common: The ""Persian tie"", an assymetric tie, usually used in places where Persian Language is spoken, where it is referred to as, so called, Farsi-Baf (done in the Persian style), and the Turkish tie, a symmetric tie, in that the two webs are of the same size and the tie is made in the middle; this second tie is more popular in places where Turkish is in use, so the name Torki-Baf (done in the Turkish style). - Completion Completion refers to the activities done for final furnishing. These include sewing the sides (so called, Dowrduzi: Some products will be sewn on the sides to be used as bags, called ""khorjin's"" or ""chante's"" on the region); burning the extra wool to make the designs vivid and enhance the quality of the product (so called, Porzsuzi); double tied roots, and final cleaning. Nomadic Gilims Wraps of Fars are not painted with painted woofs; both sides of the product can be used. Limited materials have led these products to be more geometric in both texture and margin, mirroring the local culture of the community. The most important characteristic of Fars carpet weaving is the unique method of weaving without any maps. One weaver will not be able to weave two carpets of the same design, especially, if she does not enough time to consider the details. Fars carpets include the following types: Simple Gilim(one sided or two sided): A carpet made through passing the colored wool strings, called ""Pud's"" between the vertical strings, called ""Taar's"", without maps. Rug: A carpet with thinner ""Pud's"" and thicker ""Taar's"". The product is thicker in diameter, compared to Gilim's, and is one-sided. Ghaaliche: A rug of smaller dimensions (measuring to less than three square meters). Jaajim: A product of woolen ""Taar's"" and ""Pud's"", with simple and attractive designs, and a variety of usages, including those of carpets, beds, pillows, etc. Gilim-e Naghsh-barjaste(Goljajimi Gilim): A one sided gilom with its main motifs embossed. Somak (Rendy): A one-sided Gilim, out of which ""Ghali's"" (rugs) are believed to have been evolved. Shishe Derme: A Gilim with a simple pattern; it has no knots and naps, is two sided in a way that the mirror patterns of its face are weaved on its back side. Gabbe: A gross nomadic carpet, vastly verified, and done without any map. There are both colored Gabbe's, and Gabbe's of natural colors. So called, ""Shiri"" Gabbe's of Fars mark nomadic courage for the owner.

Iran 2010

Bản Paper is a very important material product that is used regularly in the lives of the Red Yao people. This type of paper is made from natural materials, without using chemicals. Bản paper making techniques of the Red Yao in Viet Quang town is an elaborate process: choosing raw materials such as bamboo shoots (according to their own secret, choosing bamboo shoots from the end of January to the end of March of the lunar calendar), then soaking bamboo shoots, putting bamboo shoots in a soaking tank, soaking the tree to get the resin; putting raw materials in a coating tank, stirring the powder, coating the paper, pressing the paper, peeling the paper, drying the paper and finally collecting the paper, preserving... The technique of making paper represents humanistic values, containing many professional secrets that demonstrate the meticulousness, spirit, intelligence and experience of the Red Yao community and clan in Viet Quang town. Bản paper making techniques of the Red Yao in Viet Quang town (Bac Quang district, Ha Giang province) was included in the list of national intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2018.

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea When mogabi (leader of a group of singers) leads with his part of the song, the others follow him with their part of the song, playing the sogo (small drums) and making gestures with their hands and feet. The name Santaryeong (Folk Song of the Mountain) was attached, since the lyrics are associated with natural scenery. It starts with slow rhythms but becomes faster gradually. Today, the folk song is sung by males, but it originally stemmed from the female songs of sadangpae (itinerant performance troupe) composed of monks and Buddhist followers, who sang choruses of a prayer to Buddha and received contributions from people in return. With the decline of Buddhism during the Joseon Period, the members of the wandering troupes were replaced with males. Their prayer to Buddha was replaced with Seonsori Taryeong (songs performed in a standing position) sung by ordinary people. Seonsori Santaryeong was divided into a version of Seodo (referring to Hwanghae-do and Pyeongan-do) and a version of Gyeonggi. The latter portrays the natural scenery of places close to Seoul with singers playing sogo, whereas the former sings about the natural scenery of Pyeongyang joyfully with a fast tempo with singers making gestures and waving handkerchiefs. This piece of folk song is a precious material for those studying the music of sadangpae. It is the most joyful, gallant, and liveliest piece among the country’s traditional music pieces.

Thagzo or the art of weaving is one of the oldest and widely used skills that have been practised for ages. The all-encompassing use of textiles represents prestige, artistic skills, discipline, determination, familial sentiments, tangible form of asset, and expressions of devotion towards the dharma. Bhutanese textiles are the product of knowledge and skills developed and nurtured over centuries of experiences and family traditions. Our textiles are valued and renowned for their richness of colour, sophistication and variation of patterns, including the intricate fibre preparation, dyeing, weaving, and embroidery techniques. This rich and complex art of weaving is an inseparable part of our culture and history. Today, the wide availability of imported fibres and dyes are transforming the palette, textures, and surface qualities of the clothes produced. There are more than eleven types of yarns and dyes including the five main colours (white, yellow, red, green and blue) and six subsidiary colours (orange, dark green, light yellowish green, pink, light white, blue and black). These different colours are woven in accordance with different designs and patterns. Women from central and eastern regions of Bhutan are famous for their weaving skills and each region produces their own specialty. a. Weaving with Designs and Patterns: Every textile product has a name that expresses its particular combination of colour, design, pattern and fibre. Weaving pattern is either stripes - vertical for men, and horizontal for women in cotton, silk or wool. Required extra designs are made by adding warp threads. Patterns like the vajra (thunderbolt), the swastika, the tree or the wheel, each has symbolic meanings. Although the symbols used in Bhutanese textiles are primarily of geometric nature, they also have deep religious meanings. Some common geometric symbols include the dorje (Vajra), the drame (nets), the phenphenma (butterflies), the phub (Kiliya), the yudrung (Swastika), and the shinglo (leaves). The drame or the eternal knot is a classic Buddhist symbol. The phenphenma is a symbol of butterfly and the eight-pointed star, while the dorje or the thunderbolt represents the indestructible powers of Buddhism. The phub or the rainbow is a triangle pattern in successive rainbow colours. When dorje symbol is incorporated within the phub symbol, the pattern becomes dorje\u0002phub. The shinglo symbol is used mostly on the royal and noble family dresses since this symbol is the most difficult to weave. The shinglo symbol represents the “tree of life”. The therpochay ( Jana chagri) or the China Wall pattern is usually seen next to the phub design on kiras. The therpochay symbol is believed to have been derived from the designs on Chinese brocade. The yudrung portrays the crossroads where the four directions meet. A yudrung represents the balancing forces of the universe, when rotating. The yudrung is an ancient pattern and its epicentre is considered a spiritual place. Yudrung is depicted on the royal thrikheb as the centre most design. Bhutanese weavers usually weave two types of textiles; the plain woven meaning kar chang, and the pattern woven textile called metochem. These are described below. a.1. Karchang: The plain woven textiles include pangtse, mathra, sethra, adang mathra, shardang thara, and pe sar. Plain woven clothes are worn at home or work since they are cheaper than the pattern-woven clothes. Mathra (red pattern) is a varicolored plaid woven on a maroon or red field, sometimes woven with stripes (khaja) at the edges. Sethra (gold pattern) is a plaid weave usually with yellow or orange field as the dominant colour. Sethra has two popular colour combinations; red with black or blue plaid on a white field; and yellow, white and black on an orange field. Sethra dokhana consists of black colour in it while buechapgi sethra does not contain black. Thara has horizontal stripes with white as a dominant field. Shardang thara has multicoloured stripes while Samkhongma have narrow red-and-blue stripes, and Mondre which has a similar pattern to Samkhongma is worn mainly by older people in rural areas. Kamtham Jadrima is a striped textile with colours of the rainbow. Kamtham thara consists of simple warp stripes or plaids, which are gifted to a religious person. Pesar (new design) is a modern innovation with small patterns in striped plain cloth. Yu tham or the country cloth which is made of wild silk or cotton is very popular in the rural areas. Kawley is a completely black fabric of wool, which is believed to have healing properties. a.2. Meto Chem: Aikapur and Ku shu thara are the two specific kinds of pattern-woven textiles. Pattern-woven clothes are considered special, and are valued and saved for special occasions like festivals, marriages and for New Year celebrations. Bhutanese weavers weave many different types of clothes with intricate designs such as leaves, birds, trees and other animal patterns. These are briefly explained below. Aikapur: Aikapur is a textile woven of cotton or silk, and appears to be embroidered. Aikapur has double faced pattern bands called hor which alternate with rows of plain weave; with always an odd number of legs ‘kangpa’ or cross hatches. A textile is referred to as a b-sampa (with three legs; b-napa (with five legs); b-zumpa (with seven legs); b-gupa (with nine legs); b-songhthurpa (with eleven legs); and b-songsampa (with thirteen legs). Aikapur is differentiated by the colour of the background thread, and the supplementary thread used. The common colours used in aikapur are: dromchu chema, literally meaning ‘little boxes’, with red, green, yellow, and white pattern bands. Mentse mathra is a material with a yellow base, and with red and green stripes. Montha has a blue or black background with red pattern bands between colourful stripes. Lungserma has green and red pattern bands on a yellow background. Shinglo or ‘tree of life’ patterns made on the fabric are used to assess the quality of an aikapur. The delicate branches and leaves of these trees are inspected when judging the quality of a textile. Kushu Thara: Kushu thara used to be considered aristocratic and the most prestigious dress for women. Ku shu thara is woven from vegetable dyed cotton and raw silk (bura) or entirely from silk. Ku shu thara has spectacular brocade design which take up to a year to weave. Ku shu thara is always embellished on a white base, and a similar kira with a blue or black background is called ngosham .Sapma, the continuous weft patterns, and tingma, the alternative weft patterns are used as base pattern for kushuthara, ngosham or shinglochem. Shinglochem can be either a gho or a kira, woven with alternate rows of warp pattern bands. b. Weaving Materials: Bhutanese produce fibres such as raw cotton, wool, nettle fibre, yak hair and bura (raw silk). The most expensive and the most valued fibre in Bhutan is raw silk. The Bhutanese do not kill the silk worms that remain inside after spinning its cocoon, but are left until they escape, which breaks the thread before it is unrolled. That is why, Bhutanese raw silk feels and looks relatively coarse compared to Indian and Chinese silk. Several types of yarn like seshu (cultivated from mulberry silk moth Bombayx mori), bura (produced by wild non-mulberry silk moth), namdru kuep (parachute silk), and varieties of silk imported from India are notable. b.1. Nettle: Nettle or stinging nettle, though now rarely used, is said to have been the original and chief fibre used by weavers in ancient Bhutan. Nettle fibre is coarse but strong and durable. That is why people in villages used it to weave sacks, bags, kurel, pagi, pakhi, bundi and tabden. Owing to its strength it is also used as bow string. Nettle is herbaceous flowering plant that grows in temperate and sub-tropical zone. The plant grows up to 2 meters in height with spiny stems and leaves and bears white to yellowish flowers. Nettle bark contains baste fibre which is strong, smooth and light. In Bhutan, nettle fibres are harvested in the months of October and November. After peeling the stems, the fibres are dried, and then cooked with ash for about 6 hours. The fibres are then washed with cold water, and beaten in order to remove the outer cover. After removing the outer cover, the fibres are dried and dyed with natural dyes. The nettle plants are shredded, and twisted into thin fibres using a drop spindle. Nettle fibres are used to weave bundi or carry bag. Bundi is usually woven with brocaded yudrung motif at the centre of the middle panel, on a white colour base. The bundi or carry bag consists of three lengths of cloth sewn together to form a square panel. Ropes on the diagonal sides of this piece are tied together to carry possessions and bedding. b.2. Wool: Yarns from yak, sheep and goat wool are spun using phang (drop spindle) and moved to a chaphang (spinning wheel). The herders of the high valleys of Merak and Sakteng weave shingka (tunic-style dresses), women’s jackets and belts. They also make hats, ropes, tents, and bags out of yak hair, and floor mats and blankets from sheep wool. The Layap women’s dress includes a black woollen jacket, a long woollen skirt, adorned with lot of jewels, which often include teaspoons. Women also wear conical bamboo hats with a bamboo spike at the top, held by beaded bands. Shingka, an ancient tunic-style textile that was woven with either a ngoshingkha (blue) or a laushingkha (red) wool base, was worn by a high lama during religious ceremonies. Char khab, woven from wool (of yak or sheep) either on a pedal loom or back strap loom is used for protection from snow, cold, and rain. It is water-resistant and an essential item for the herders in cold the region. Sephu charkhab (rain cloaks from Sephu) is a colourful textile with bands of green, blue, white and orange. Bumthang and Trongsa were known for a woollen fabric called yathra, which was used as a cover from rain and cold. In the late 1990s, farmers in Trongsa had stopped raising sheep which inevitably put an end to the practise of weaving yathra. Yathra is used as bed covers, blankets, rain cloaks, cushion covers, sofa set covers, and as jackets for both men and women. b.3. Cotton: Kershing (cotton) is used to separate the cotton seeds, and then fluff out to make it ready for spinning into yarn with the help of a wooden spindle or spinning wheel. Usually cotton woven with traditional designs on white background, chagsi pangkheb was put on laps to wipe hands before and after meals by persons of higher positions. In the early days, Bhutanese women used to put on an apron-like wear called dongkheb as a sign of respect while approaching the king or a high official. Phechung is a cotton woven carry bag woven but its usage is now limited to ceremonial receptions along with chagsi pangkheb. Thrikheb (throne cover) is a rare textile used as the King’s throne cover. It is also used for the lamas during religious ceremonies. Chephur gyaltshen (banner with frills), gyaltshen (pair of cylindrical hangings with valance), bumgho (bumpa covers), kheb and tenkheb (altar covers),phen (pair of triangular topped hangings) and chephur (a pair of cylindrical hangings) are some of the other cloth products that are used in altars and monasteries. Hingthub is a time-consuming but highly cherished textile woven for loved ones or for use by the weaver or their ‘lord’. The finer product demonstrates the dedication of the weaver. It is also used by the weaver’s family or to stitch outer attire for statues or as wall hangings. Today most of the yarns for weaving like raw silk, cotton and acrylic are imported while some of the yarn is spun and processed locally. The availability of cheap machine spun yarns from India has overtaken the local cotton cultivation. b.4. Types of Loom: There are three types of looms used by weavers in Bhutan. Traditionally pangthag was the most commonly used loom for weaving larger size garments. The smaller version of this loom called kethag is used for weaving narrow items like belts. In the 1970s, another type of loom called thri-thag (khri-thags) was adopted from India. This loom gained popularity in the growing urban centres. This later type is a horizontal loom with pedals. Each region has a speciality in terms of designs and types. Kurtoe is known for Ku shu thara, while marthra and serthra are mostly produced in Bumthang. Trashigang district is well known for weaving aikapur, while pangkheb and montha come from Kheng. b.5. Dyes: Bhutanese weavers consider the coordination of pleasing colours more important than the designs, patterns and techniques. Strong taboos are associated with the dyeing process and the weavers are very particular about colour shades. They believe that malevolent spirits, certain weather conditions, strangers or pregnant women can ruin the dye. Like the weaving techniques, the recipes for dyeing are closely guarded family secrets and the formula is usually passed down from mother to daughter. There are a number of dye-yielding plants. Weavers obtain dyes using simple methods from barks, flowers, fruits, leaves, and roots of plants, and minerals. Today, chemical or synthetic dyes called tsho-sar are easily available while the natural dye is called tsho nying. They are easily recognisable by their hue. Some of the natural dyes obtained from plants are described below. - Indigo: Shades of green, purple, blue and black are obtained from leaves of trees locally called yangshaba (Strobilanthus flaccidifolius) in Tshangla dialect. Indigo (lndigofera spp.) plants are cultivated in household gardens as a source of blue dye. Alum earths, sour fruits, and dug shing (Symplocos) leaves are used as a mordant in dyeing to fix the colouring matter. Indigo plant leaves are fermented for two weeks, and then passed through acidic ash water. - Lac: Jatsho (Lacifer lacca) is an organic dye that produces colours ranging from pink to deep red. Lac is boiled in water until it becomes sticky dough. The pulp is mixed with roasted wheat and allowed to ferment for 10 days. The selected yarn is then put into the boiling mixture until the colour gets absorbed. Churoo (Phyllanthusemblica) is used as a fixating element in dye. - Madder: Dried stems and leaves of madder called tsoe (Rubia cordifolia) are chopped into small pieces. This material is boiled together with the yarn to produce several colours ranging from pink to deep red. It is good for dyeing raw silk, cotton and wool. Madder can be preserved in dry place for years. The ripe berries of berberis, locally called kepatsang (Berberis aristata) are used as a source of red colour, while the barks of nut of the walnut tree can be used to obtain orange colour in woollen yarns. - Pangtse: Leaves from pangtse shing (Symplocos paniculata) are gathered from the forest, which can be used fresh or dried, to make yellow colour .Pangtse leaves are boiled in water along with woollen yarns. The yarn is then allowed to drip. Sometimes, yung ga (Curcuma longa) or turmeric is also used to obtain a bright yellow colour. Lemon, also called churoo (Emblica officinalis), variety of other berries, herbs, plants, and roots are used along with alum mordant to boost colours in the yarn. However, since dyed yarns from India are available at cheaper price, only a few Bhutanese weavers practise the tradition of natural dyeing processes these days.

Lakadou is a traditional musical instrument from Timor-Leste, crafted exclusively from bamboo. It combines the characteristics of strings or threads created from the bamboo itself. The construction of Lakadou showcases deep ancestral knowledge of sustainable natural material use. Its unique and melodic sound is produced by thin pieces of bamboo, carefully carved and stretched to act as strings. This instrument symbolizes the harmonious connection between Timorese culture and nature.