Traditional Turkish Archery is an intangible cultural heritage element, consisting of its principles, rituals and social practices, craftsmanship of traditional equipment, archery disciplines and shooting techniques evolved over centuries, which has been shaped around a sportive activity. In traditional Turkish archery, there are different types of disciplines practiced on foot and on horseback. The archery on foot discipline includes “Menzil” (Long-Distance), “Darp” (Pounding) and “Puta” (Target) shootings. Horseback archery discipline includes “Kıgaç”, “Kabak” and “Tabla” shootings. Bearers and practitioners of the element train individually or collectively to improve their archery skills, carry out individual shootings, and take part in competitions and festive events. Archers learn from masters the traditional shooting techniques and skills which allow them to perform either foot or horseback shootings. In all stages of practice, archers strictly act in accordance with the certain principles, rules and rituals related to the element. Craftsmanship of traditional archery equipment is also important component of the element. These equipments are made by craftspeople who have the skills and knowledge of materials as well as patience and mastery. Making the equipment requires raw materials such as trees grown under certain climatic conditions at high altitudes, organic glues, horns, tendons, silk and leather, and so craftspeople should have an advanced knowledge of nature, including plants, animals and climate. Archery equipment is generally decorated with calligraphy, ornaments and marquetry.

Turkey 2019

Tshar-zo, the age-old tradition of working with bamboo and cane is a popular art, spread and practiced throughout Bhutan. The availability of numerous species of bamboo and cane has enabled the Bhutanese to master the skill of weaving these raw materials into a variety of articles for various uses. Throughout Bhutan, the use of bamboo and cane products has always complemented the use of wooden items, forming an integral part of the lifestyle and economy of the people. Bhutanese farmers weave a variety of functional bamboo and cane articles used for a variety of domestic, agricultural and commercial purposes. Bamboo (Neomicrocalamus andropogonifolius), is locally named Ringshu in Dzongkha and as Yula in Khengkha. Cane (Calamus acanthospathus) is locally known as Munzi in Sharchopkha, and as krath or gren in Khengkha. These are the two common species used in the production of a variety of articles. Bamboo and cane strips are used in their natural colour or dyed into yellow, black, red, green, maroon and brown, to weave colourful articles with geometric designs.

Archery is a game that people in Bhutan have been playing since time immemorial. It is played as a tournament, friendly game and recreationally. Archery has become so popular that it was declared the national game of Bhutan in 1971. With few exceptions, the materials used to make bows and arrows are common and standardized, and differ mainly because of their availability. Here in Paro, one of the western dzongkhags (districts), Mr. Rinchen Gyeltshen from the village of Shari in the Tsen-to Gewog (block) explains that archery was practiced in the days of his ancestors and that bow and arrow making never required formal, certified training or a course, but was learned naturally over time. More than 35 years ago, in the interest of the game itself, he began making bows and arrows. Even today, teenage boys can be seen enthusiastically playing archery in dry rice fields in the villages.

According to our conventional wisdom, once a woman stops menstruating, and starts vomiting in the morning as well as experiencing loss of appetite, she is pregnant. Henceforth, she avoids doing any heavy work, and elders and experienced people advise her on the dos and don’ts of birthing-related subjects. Although pregnancy was socially acceptable for a woman who had a husband, there was a social stigma against unmarried pregnant women. Not only did people gossip behind their backs, but some communities even ostracised them on the pretext that their pregnancy outside marriage would cause accident or disaster to the people, animals and community, especially if they happened to pass through any restricted areas such as ladam or ridam (restriction of mountains and forests near the community and believing these sites as the abode of local deities. Restrictions these sites starts from the sowing of seeds in the field and until the harvest). Although no nasty actions are taken against unwedded pregnant women these days, they are still the subject of gossip, and social stigmatisation persists, though perhaps to a lesser degree now than is mirrored in the well-known traditional saying: "If the bastard is faced to the rocky cliff, the cliff breaks down; and, And if the bastard is faced towards the lake, the lake dries up." Although due date for the birth could not be predicted precisely, impending birth is determined based on the size of the abdomen and frequency and intensity of labour pains. As soon as childbirth seems imminent, the woman readies herself by preparing ara (distilled wine) or changkyoe (fermented rice) as well as stocking up with other nutritious foods such as meat, egg and fish. She also avoids crossing the tethers of horses, as it is believed that this will delay birth, since pregnancy in mares lasts about a year. Besides, roaming or journeying at night is strictly forbidden. When it is time, a few elderly women will be called to assist the pregnant woman, as it is also believed that it will be easy to give birth if there is an experienced woman nearby. According to the Eastern Bhutanese belief, if the woman is in protracted labour, various methods are followed to aid her in delivering the baby, such as: opening a container of fermented rice (Changkoe or phafin, also known as buchang) and serving it to her; a family member going to a cross-section of paths and stamping the ground hard three times, collecting the dust from that spot, and then rubbing it on the abdomen of the expectant woman; or her brother (phuga ajang) dresses up and covers his body with a lhiu (rain coat made from yak hair) and then, carrying a quiver and holding a bow in his right hand, he jumps across the abdomen of his sister who is lying on the bed. These are some of the popular practices claimed to have saved pregnant women from suffering further. After delivery, the child is picked up by the kindest and most gentle person present, as it is again believed that the new-born will take on the character of the person who first picks the baby up. Once the child has been picked up, its umbilical cord is cut with a sharp knife or a scissor. The child is washed with lukewarm water and welcomed by inserting a piece of butter in the mouth, placing another piece on the head, and uttering many good wishes and prayers for his/her long life. While the child is being washed, the mother awaits expulsion of the placenta. The placenta is buried in the ground, placing the umbilical cord towards the surface. However, in some cases the placenta is taken to a river and pressed under a heavy stone with the umbilical cord turned upstream. Either way, if the umbilical cord is not placed correctly, it is believed that the child will vomit. After washing, the baby is allowed to suckle at the mother’s breast either before or after expulsion of placenta, and following that ara and nutritious foods are given to the mother. However, if placental expulsion does not occur, a rundi (kind of flat rope made from bamboo, used when carrying loads on the back in Tshangla Community) is cut in half and burned. The ash is given to the mother to eat. In some cases, the cast off skin of a snake (buesop) is fed to the woman. People believe that these practices will help the body expel the retained placenta. As the birth of a child is considered impure, outsiders will avoid visiting the family for three days after the birth. After three days, where possible, a lama or tsip (astrologer, or lama who knows astrology) is invited to the house to perform a purification ritual called lhabsang and define the child’s horoscope and bestow a name. Following this, well-wishers and neighbours will visit, bringing a ceremonial scarf and a pitcher of ara, a small amount of dried meats, eggs or anything else that is considered valuable to the weak and recuperating mother. The next very important function for a child is the first cutting of hair, which can be done at any suitable time after the hair is long enough. The practice is that the first haircut is done by a brother of the child’s mother, or in some cases (for example if she has no brother), it may be done by a lama.

Traditional leather processing and dyeing techniques are widely used in Shubarkuduk (Western Kazakhstan), which also hosts a school for teaching these techniques to young people. Leather utensils, serve as a 'refrigerator', which can withstand any changes in temperature. The freshness of kymyz (mare's milk) and shubat (camel milk) kept in such way. The tradition of leather craft, method of treatment passed down from generation to generation. Currently, the synthesis of professional creative activities and traditional motifs of the past is seen as the source of the revival of the classical tradition. These days, leather utensils fail to fulfill its utilitarian function, people mostly use it as a souvenir. Traditional technique of leather processing is used along with modern methods. The leather is used to produce men’s belts (kumys beldyk); hunting belt with accessories (kyseh beldyk with powder flask, pouch, fire striker, and sheath for a knife); women’s belt (belbeu); traditional footwear (yetyk, kebys, myasy); leather braided whip (khamshy), four, six and eight strand whip (used for horse riding); twelve and fourteen strand whip (used for protection from wolf attack); a quiver for arrows; a sheath for knives, swords, and sabers; leather shields. There are also leather vessels for mare’s milk: kauhar (flat vessel with narrow neck), torsykh (a vessel with rounded handles), mess (water skin), sabah (a large vessel tailored from goatskin). Traditional fur hats are widespread in Kazakhstan, namely tymakh and boryk with a lining made from fox, wolf, muskrat or mink fur and pushpakh tymakh made from fox paws; as well traditional men’s clothes (shapan and zharghakh) light coat made from light and soft suede and decorated with fine silk embroidery. Kazakh suede was one of the most valuable goods of the Silk Road and was traded as expensively as Chinese silk. One of the most common techniques used by Kazakh artisans is hot stamping on leather with metal plates called khalyp. Nowadays the national artistic traditions and new creative trends reflected in the works of modern masters and artists, where the ancient stamping technology has been preserved almost intact. . Embossing is made on soaked leather on the underside using special wooden plates with a desired carved design. Leather is clamped between two wooden plates and left to air-dry naturally. The design used for decorating leather is similar to the one used for making carpets. The central field filled with khoshkhar muyiz (sheep horn pattern) and khos myuiz (a cross-piece made of paired sheep horns). For the border, usually a plant design is used. The leather can be decorated with shaped metal plates with silver inlay. Embossed leather can be used for decorating wooden chests (zhaghlan). Along with embossing, incrustation with colored leather (kok saur), velvet and gold embroidery on leather is used.

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Jeontongjang refers to the skill of making a quiver (a long case for carrying arrows), or to an artisan with such a skill. On the Korean Peninsula, the skill started to develop as early as the Neolithic Age. Quivers appear in murals in Ssangyeongchong Tomb dating from Goguryeo (circa 37 BC – 667 AD). Quiver ornaments were unearthed from tombs dating from Silla (circa 57 BC – 935 AD) and Baekje (18 BC – 935 AD). The development of firearms after the Japanese Invasion of Korea (1592 – 1598) led to the decline of arrows and consequently, quivers. By the late Joseon Period (1392 – 1910), archery became a hobby and this affected the types of quivers used. Quivers were made of bamboo, paper, wood, or shark skin. Some of them were adorned with mother-of-pearl or engraved patterns. Bamboo quivers were made of transparent green-colored bamboo at least two years old. Bamboo pieces cut were stored in a shady place for more than two years and then put in watery caustic soda for three days to remove oily substance. The work was completed with the removal of nodes and the engraving of patterns.