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stitching
ICH Elements 7
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Traditional craftsmanship of the Mongol Ger and its associated customs
For thousands of years, nomadic herders of Mongolia roamed across the country-side from season to season. Dry, windy areas close to rivers are best for summers while areas away from river-bank wind and close to mountains or hills are best for winter stays. In the country where pasture always was and still is a public domain, the herders moved freely to the best locations for the season. With this lifestyle of freedom of movement and pastoral animal husbandry was invented the national dwelling called the ‘Mongol ger’. It is a round structure of easily dismantle-able walls, polls and a round ceiling covered with canvas and felt, tightened with ropes. The ger was designed to be light enough for Mongolian nomads to carry, flexible enough to fold-up, pack and assemble, sturdy enough for multiple dismantling and assembling as well as easy for regulating temperatures within. Over many centuries the mongol ger was modified into a perfectly aerodynamic structure which can withstand Mongolia's fierce spring winds ranging up to 18-20 meter/sec. It can be dismantled in half an hour and assembled in an hour by a small family with 2-3 adults. The Mongol ger has many varieties. The most common “5-wall ger” consists of five lattice segments forming a circular wall, a door, a toono (round window ceiling), two bagana (columns that hold the toono), and 88 uni(long poles that connect wall lattices and toono which forms the roof of the ger). There are also several accessories attached to the ger.
Mongolia 2013 -
Traditional art of needlework
The unforgettable cultural heritage of the nomadic Mongols which has long been developed, transmitted and inherited to our generation is the art of needlework. The art of needlework is a result of the great deal of meticulous labor, delicacy, patience, and perception of intellect, hands and eyes at the same time. Traditional art of needlework consists of general techniques such as sewing, stitching, quilting, sewing with a forward stitch, single or double stitch and hemming stitch, and more than 20 forms of decorative embroideries including chain stitch, double-embroidery stitch, herring-bone stitch, satin stitch and etc.
Mongolia -
Nubijang (Quilting)
National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Nubi is a method of sewing in order to put cotton, fur or mulberry paper between the outer fabric and the lining of cloth, or of broad stitching without putting anything between the outer fabric and lining to strengthen the cloth or to make it warmer. Nubijang refers to this skill or to an artisan with such a skill. The method became a common practice following the introduction of cotton growing. Some monks wore the same robe for tens of years, repairing it with this method. Nubi techniques developed to a point where even ordinary people came to adopt them. Among the things needed for the work of nubi are thread that matches as closely as possible that used on the clothes or bedding, needles, scissors, a heating iron, a push stick, a measuring stick, and a thimble. Regular straight lines are chiefly used for the nubi work on clothes or bedding, but a mixture of straight and curved lines are also used to make a pattern when working on wrapping cloth or pouches. The country’s traditional manual nubi sewing is said to be an artwork similar to embroidery, but it is gradually disappearing, as the work takes time and does not bring much economic benefit.
South Korea -
Tshemzo: The art of Tailoring, Embroidery and Appliqué
Tshemzo includes three forms of art - tailoring, embroidery and appliqué under one name. Tailoring involves stitching all kinds of garments while embroidery, which is called tshemdrub, and appliqué or lhemdrub are done for making thangka and thongdroel. According to Lam Nado (Druk Karpo, 1986), the art Embroidery called tshemdrub and appliqué was introduced in Bhutan by Drung Damcho Gyaltshen, secretary of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. He was not only a scholar but was also highly skilled in the art of Tshemzo. Later the art was widely spread by Penlop (Chieftain) Drakpa Jamtsho and Choeje (Nobility) Jamgon Ngawang Gyaltshen subsequently. Tshemdrub involves working with thread and needle to produce designs while lhemdrub involves fixing the cut patches of either silk or brocade to produce bigger images. Monks normally practice the art of embroidery and appliqué.Monks produce large religious scrolls known as Thangkas that portray Buddhist deities and saints. Seven different kinds of embroidery are practiced: •\t Lhugtshem-light coloured embroidery •\t Sitshem- the bold coloured embroidery •\t Nyitshem- double-embroidery •\t Chagthagtshem- Iron-chain embroidery •\t Zurtshem- lining embroidery •\t Dongtshem- front embroidery •\t Chedtshem- outline embroidery a. Sewing Traditional Garments: Common practice among the people is lagtshem (hand sweing) or thrultshem (sewing by using a tailoring machine). These tailors are skilled at sewing the traditional Bhutanese garments. They stitch gho and kira, the national attires for men and women respectively. They also design and stitch tego and wonju (blouse) worn by Bhutanese women. Traditionally, lagtshem- to stitch costumes with bare hands using the thread and needles were practiced and were done mostly at home. Today, however, with the advancement in technologies, tailors use modern sewing machines, which are more effective and carried out with much ease.
Bhutan -
Ribbon making
Mongolian craftmanship have ancient crafts of ribbon-making such as zoos shiree (circled stitching), khosh (parallel bands), and gyarag bus (weaved sash). All are, however, rarely practiced nowadays. A field research group, studying Mongolian folklore, first discovered ribbon-making in 1982, along with khosh nekhekh-making in Omnogovi province in 1986 and gyarag bus-making in Dundgovi aimag in 1987, and brought them to the attention of the public. Consequently, several artisans have since taken up work on zoos shiree knitting, including D.Batbuyan and S.Khandmaa. Wood engraving artists have also come to specialize in zoos shiree making, such as B.Bayarsaikhan. Zoos shiree knitting is done in a number of different ways, using threads (from 3 to 12,24, and 32 threads at a time) and pieces of ribbon and rope (in groups of 1, 2, and 3). Nomadic artisans create such traditional patterns as khavtgai khee, 61- ziishtiu khee, khanan khee, and tagnai khee.
Mongolia -
Traditional craftsmanship of Mongol ger
Craftsmanship of the Mongol Ger is a traditional enterprise involving the labour of a household or group, with men carving the wood and both women and men engaged in painting, sewing and stitching, and felt-making. Wooden frames comprise the crown, roof poles, wall lattices, door, two pillars and furniture produced by separate carpenters specialized for each. Traditional craftsmanship of Mongol ger is indeed reflects the nomadic culture, national identity which stands for the name card of Mongols to the world. Traditional craftsmanship is taught to the younger generations, principally through mentoring by a senior craftsperson. Dismantling and reassembling the Ger are always family operations, with children learning by watching their elders. Cutting and preparing sheep’s wool, making felt, stitching canvas and preparing woodwork are usually communal endeavours. As a traditional dwelling, the Mongol Ger plays an important social and cultural role for nomadic families and its makers are highly respected.
Mongolia 2013 -
Felt - stitching
Felt serves other purposes than as a covering for the ger. It is also embroidered ornately with a technique called shirekh, using thread made from camel wool, to make olbog or cushions and uud or the felt door for a ger. Usually, nevtgelzekh or "sewing with a forward stitch" is used for felt stitching. Stitches have to start from the centre of the ornament, so that the felt doesn't move. The stitching thread is not tied in a knot, but is instead quilted into the felt. Stitching distances must be equal and also close to each other. When the stitches are made appropriately and meticulously, the top and bottom sides of the felt look the same. Felt-stitching has different styles according to the practices of the many ethnic groups of Mongolia.
Mongolia