The Hüsn-i hat is the art of writing with Islamic letters of Arabic origin by using reed pen and soot ink in a measured and proportional manner while taking into consideration of the aesthetic values. A special paper glazed with organic substances (aharlı kağıt), reed pen (kamış kalem), pen-knives, a special slab for trimming the reed pen (makta), inkwell (hokka) and pen case (divit) are the most used tools in its practice traditionally. The Hüsn-i hat is written on special paper, leather or other writing materials and it may also be applied on the surfaces of stone, marble, glass, wood, etc. by using specific techniques. Holding the reed pen and its directions on the paper by the hattat ensures the perfection and compound of letters. There are different styles of writing which have been evolved over centuries: Thuluth, jali, naskh, muhaqqaq, raykhāni, tawqi, riqā’, kufic, ta’liq, nasta’liq, siyaqat, diwani, riq’a, gubari are among the commonly preferred styles. These writing styles, using the tools and traditional craftsmanship related to the element have been transmitted through master-apprentice relation from generation to generation. The Quran, hadiths (statements of the Prophet Muhammad), Turkish laconic and poetical couplets are written with hüsn-i hat. Therefore, hattats have applied Sufistic rituals while writing hüsn-i hat. Apart from the sacred and literal works, the element also practised in state correspondences such as imperial edicts, warrants and religious and public buildings in Seljuk and Ottoman period. Today, the element is still practised in sacred and literal works and religious buildings in Turkey.

Turkey 2021

The tradition of calligraphy has always been associated with the act of writing in Iran, and even when the writers had limited literacy, calligraphy and writing were still intricately linked. But with the advent of printing and the emergence of computer programmes and digital fonts, this art gradually declined and the emphasis on pure readability replaced the observance of both readability and aesthetics. This resulted in a decline in the appreciation of calligraphy among the new generations. The safeguarding of the Iranian calligraphic tradition thus became a major concern in the 1980s, and a national programme was developed for this purpose by non governmental organizations in collaboration with the government. This programme aimed to expand informal and formal public training in calligraphy, publish books and pamphlets, hold art exhibitions, and develop academic curricula, while promoting appropriate use of the calligraphic tradition in line with modern living conditions. Some of the work on this programme was started by the Iranian Calligraphers Association before the 1980s, and given its immense popularity, the public sector turned it into a national programme by redefining and coordinating it on a large scale based on the experiences of the public and private sectors.

Iran 2021

Con Son Pagoda Festival is held from January 15 to 22 every year. Con Son festival originates from the death anniversary of Zen master Huyen Quang (January 22, 1334) - the third ancestor of Truc Lam Zen sect, a Zen sect with the idea of national self-reliance. King Tran Minh Tong gave the field to worship and built the dharma ancestor behind the pagoda, specializing the Tu Thap "Huen Quang false venerable". The traditional festival is held at Con Son pagoda with rituals bearing the imprint of Buddhism. The ritual sequence includes: incense offering ceremony to open the festival on January 16; the procession of water and carpentry is an important ritual of the Con Son festival taking place on the morning of January 16; The Mong Son giving food ceremony took place on the evening of January 17 at the courtyard of Con Son pagoda. The Mong Son alms-giving group includes: the main organ and the altar for making offerings to the Buddha. This ritual has been successfully restored in the project of upgrading Con Son - Kiep Bac festival in the period 2006 - 2010; The sacrifice to heaven and earth on Ngu Nhac mountain: takes place on the morning of January 17 at Trung Nhac temple, on Ngu Nhac mountain, performed by magicians. In addition to Buddhist rituals, folklore activities in the Con Son pagoda festival are also diverse and attractive with their own characteristics such as fairy swings, calligraphy, wrestling, quan ho singing...

In China, the art of seal engraving is recognized as one of the finest examples of traditional arts and crafts and is of immeasurable cultural value with a history of over 3,000 years. In ancient China, seals served as the personal signature of their owners, and, more significantly, also served as a symbol of legitimacy for a ruler or an entire government. Seal engraving represents the harmonious combination of calligraphic aesthetics with the precise skills of engraving and meticulous attention to detail. The seal must use what is often a very limited space in order to convey the unique character traits of its purpose or the personality of its owner. For thousands of years, it has had both a purely functional use as well as attaining the highest levels of artistic and cultural aesthetics. Seal engravers preserve artistic traditions while also reaching out in new directions and revealing fascinatingly different styles: exaggerating the thinness or thickness of a character, elaborately curving or angling a stroke, or even deliberately re-forming traditional ideograms for artistic effect. Indeed, the work of master seal engravers is no less important than the work of well-known painters or calligraphers in Chinese history. The engraving process is unique. The tools used for seal engraving include the knife, seal holder, seal ink, writing brush, and xuan paper. A design is made on paper—when engraved, the characters have to be written on stone surface opposite to what they will look like. After the engraving is completed, press the seal in the seal ink to make an impression on xuan paper. Additional text is often engraved on the side of the seals, from which rubbings can be made. Seal engraving has the following unique characteristics: 1.The artists use engraved characters to show the aesthetics of traditional Chinese culture through the harmony of positive and negative and the balance of abstract and concrete forms. 2.The artists use seals to express their accumulated ideas, artistic sensibilities, and engraving skills in a very small space. 3.The creation of seals is an integration of man and nature through the engraving process. 4.Seals display the quality of the stone and the style of the calligraphy. The art of seal engraving embodies important cultural and social functions. It is the expression of the artists’ own imagination, as well as a way of personal cultivation and the blending of art, literature, aesthetics, and language. Seals also serve as a means of communication and have been used by scholars and art collectors as a means of personal identification, a claim of ownership, or for social interaction. The art of seal engraving also reached other parts of East and Southeast Asia as part of the exchanges of culture and art among different nations. Today the art form enjoys worldwide appeal among historians, art lovers, and collectors.

China 2009

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

Mongolian calligraphy is the technique of handwriting in the Classical Mongolian script, which comprises ninety letters connected vertically by continuous strokes to create words. The letters are formed from six main strokes, known as head, tooth, stem, stomach, bow and tail, respectively. Mongolian calligraphy expresses ancient traditional literature, culture, knowledge, intellectual education and innate human sensuality through the brush strokes used in writing the Classical Mongolian script. It requires an equal combination of hand, eye and mental artistry and skill, using brush, ink, paper and strop. This calligraphic art is used for the distinct, vertically written Mongolian script comprising several patterns of writing: ancient, meticulous, stenography, ornamental and stylized. Traditionally, mentors select the best students and train them to be calligraphers over a period of five to eight years.

Mongolia 2013

Ebru is the traditional art of creating colorful patterns by sprinkling and brushing color pigments on a pan of oily water and then transforming this pattern to a special paper. It has been a traditional art of book enriching calligraphy and binding books for many centuries. In the 13th century, the first forms of Ebru emerged in Central Asia and spread to Anatolia through Iran. During the Ottoman period, Turkish calligraphers and artists created new forms and perfected techniques. Ebru is an art which consists in the production of certain patterns and effects, by means of color containing a few drops of ox-gall (kind of natural acid helping the colors sprinkle on the gum) so prepared as to float upon a preparation of condensed liquid with the use of kitre (kind of herbal gum), possessing certain properties to the colors prepared for the purpose and which color floated and formed into patterns upon the surface of the liquid, are taken off by laying on a sheet of paper. Several patterns such as gelgit, tarakli, hatip, bülbül yuvasi, çiçekli evolved over centuries. The colored effects of Ebru are achieved through patterns; that is by employing stereotype designs. The colors are natural pigments acquired by natural methods and most popularly employed colors are bright, fresh green, red and yellow. In other words, the designs or motifs indicate their common pattern. The most frequently seen designs are flowers, foliage, ornamental, latticework, mosque, first quarter moon and other images.

Turkey 2014

Integrating singing, reciting, dancing and martial arts performing, Peking Opera is a comprehensive performing art of traditional opera. In mid 19th Century, having incorporated elements of various opera forms from both northern and southern China, Peking Opera came into being. It was first created by civilians. Its development was then greatly promoted by the royal family, and reached its peak in the capital city of Beijing. Peking Opera is the most widespread and influential among over 300 opera forms in China. Hence it is also called the “National Opera”. Beijing dialect is used in the singing and reciting of Peking Opera where rhyme is of great importance. There is also a strict set of rules and forms of libretto composition. Peking Opera is based on Xipi tune and Erhuang tune. Xipi tune is applied to express passion, joy and ecstasy, whereas Erhuang tune is used to depict sadness and grief. Music (singing) plays a key role in setting the pace of the show, creating a proper atmosphere, shaping the characters, and smoothing the progress of the story. Traditional musical instruments are used in Peking Opera shows, where the drummer plays the role of a conductor and the “Jinghu” player acts as the first violinist in an orchestra. Strings and pipes, such as Jinghu, Yueqin and Sanxian, are known for their tender and melodious sounds, which are called “Wen Yue”, or civilian music. Whereas percussions including Bangu and Daluo make brisk and powerful beats, which are called “Wu Yue”, or military music. Singing and dancing are equally important to the performance of Peking Opera, which is characterized by its formularized and symbolic style. Performers have to follow the established format of movements of hands, eyes, body, and feet. Peking Opera only requires simple stage settings and props, following the principle of abstract presentation of big items (for example houses and walls are not necessary on stage) and specific presentation of small items (tables, chairs, cups and saucers, for instance, are used as props on stage). The exquisite and skilful acting of the performers can also help to unfold a virtual yet vivid stage setting to the audience. The costume and headdress in Peking Opera are flamboyant. The facial make-up is exaggerative and delicate. The lively opera face shows the character’s personality and social identity with concise symbols, colours and patterns, expressing the traditional Chinese aesthetic ideals. The storylines of Peking Opera originate from history, anecdotes and folk legends. About 100 of more than 3,000 Peking Opera shows are still being performed frequently today, such as “The Twin Bliss of Dragon and Phoenix”, “The Tipsy Imperial Concubine”, and “The Orphan of Zhao”. Over the process of its transmission, over 30 schools of Peking Opera with different singing characteristics have been gradually developed. The most famous schools include the Mei School (founded by Mei Lanfang) and the Tan School (created by Tan Xinpei). The Mei School, a performance system named after Mei Lanfang, is regarded as a representative of China’s opera performance systems, and one of the three major opera performance systems of the world. Nowadays, it is mostly the practitioners of professional and amateur troupes who shoulder the mission of passing down Peking Opera. Beijing Peking Opera House, Tianjin Peking Opera House, and Shanghai Peking Opera House play the most significant role in the transmission and development of Peking Opera. Prestigious Peking Opera artists, such as Wang Jinlu, Tan Yuanshou, Mei Baojiu, Li Changchun, Zhao Baoxiu, not only inherit their respective schools in a creative way, but also shoulder the responsibility of training performers of a younger generation. The traditional performing art of Peking Opera is still well received by the public. In Beijing alone it attracts over one million audiences every year. Some Peking Opera fans can not only appreciate it, but also practice it. They are also making a special contribution to the survival and development of Peking Opera. Opera towers and guild halls dedicated to staging Peking Opera shows, such as Huguang Guild Hall in Beijing and Tianchan Yifu Stage in Shanghai, are important cultural venues for relative communities and their “spiritual wonderland”. The major mode of transmission of Peking Opera is to “conduct oral teaching and inspire true understanding of the trainee”. In the past, the master of an opera troupe applied such a method to train his disciples. Even today, this mode is still being extensively used in opera trainings. As an inheritor and practitioner, each Peking Opera performer has to go through a series of rigorous and systematic training at a young age. A trainee will gradually master basic skills including reciting, singing, dancing, and martial arts performing through taking oral instructions from the master, and observing the master’s behaviour. A performing artist of Peking Opera will need to constantly improve his or her artistic attainments through a long-term practice, so as to enrich and solidify the heritage. The representative bearers of Peking Opera typically have mastery of various forms of traditional Chinese culture, such as calligraphy and history, and they are very respected by the public. Peking Opera is unique in its perfect, romantic and abstract way of performing. It is the practitioners’ special expression of their feelings and aesthetic ideals. It is also an important symbol of Chinese cultural identity.

China 2010