Materials
sculpture
ICH Materials 55
Publications(Article)
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Mongolian Culture and HeritageThe culture of the Central Asian steppes expresses itself vividly in the lifestyle of traditional nomadic practices. Mongolian culture has been in practice in the nomadic life and the traditions surrounding the nomad’s home (ger). And it is present in religious celebrations, national festivals, art and crafts, music and dance, language and literature, which form the backbone of Mongolian intangible cultural heritage of Mongolia. Mongolia is filled with valuable cultural properties and intangible cultural heritage of humanity that have been kept or practiced for thousands of years.\n\nGer, Mongolian Traditional Dwelling\nThe traditional architecture of the Mongols differed strongly from that of the settled peoples of Asia and other continents. Centuries ago, there the ger, also known as a yurt, appeared. It still offers shelter to nomads in particular places in Central Asia. Its development and fundamental principles are determined by the specific features of the way of life of Mongol tribes, which made it necessary to evolve a light and collapsible structure to be used as a dwelling or for public functions.\n\nMongolian Language and Literature\nMongolian is the language of most of the Mongolian population and inner Mongolia. By origin, Mongolian is one of the Altaic family of languages, and the history of the Mongolian language is long and complicated. Significant literary work of early Mongolia includes The Secret History of the Mongols, which was published in 1228).\n\nMongolian Religion and Beliefs\nThe Mongols have practiced several religions, of which Shamanism and Buddhism were the most common. The faith in Mongolia is Buddhism, though the state and religion were separated during the socialist period, but with the transition to the parliamentary republic in the 1990s, there has been a general revival of faiths across the country\n\nMongolian Art and Crafts\nMongolian arts and crafts have been passed down across generations from the Paleolithic times to today, leaving behind deep impressions on all facets of life and conscious, aesthetic, and philosophical thinking. Highly developed Mongolian arts and crafts come from the second millennium BCE. The works included sculptured heads of wild animals with exaggerated features. Other items include knives, daggers, and other items of practical and religious use.\n\nMongolian Music and Dance\nMusic is an integral part of Mongolian culture. Among Mongolia’s unique contributions to the world’s musical culture are the long songs, overtone singing, and morin khuur (the horse-headed fiddle). The music of Mongolia is also rich with varieties related to the various ethnic groups of the country. Among the most popular forms of modern music in Mongolia are Western pop and rock genres and the mass songs written by contemporary authors in the form of folk songs.\n\nHorse Culture of Mongolia\nIt is famously known that horses play a large role in the Mongols’ daily and national lives. Common sayings are, “A Mongol without a horse is like a bird without wings,” and “Mongols are born on horseback” these are arguably true words. Even today, horse-based culture is still practiced by nomadic Mongolians.\n\nVisit https://www.toursmongolia.com/tours for additional information about Mongolian culture.\n\nPhoto 1 : Prairie meadow grass inner Mongolia traditional clothing © Batzaya Choijiljav\nPhoto 2~7 : © Batzaya ChoijiljavYear2020NationMongolia
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Online BharatanatyamBharatanatyam is the oldest classical dance traditions among the eight classical dances of India. It has its origin in the southern parts of the country. The art form has its beginning as a temple tradition and later evolved on to the proscenium stages. The history of Bharatanatyam is as vibrant as the cultural traditions of south India, especially Tamil Nadu. The sculpture, fine arts, music, and every other art tradition is interlinked with this age-old art form which successfully retains its significance until today.\n\nTraditional Bharatanatyam follows a seven-part presentation, which is called margam. The art form generally includes a solo dancer and musicians along with on or more singers. The music and vocal performance and the dance movements trace back to the ancient Natya Shastra, and many other Sanskrit and Tamil texts.\n\nThe solo Bharatanatyam dancer wears a dress that resembles a Tamil Hindu bridal attire. She wears a brightly colored sari, specially designed for the dance to accommodate the dancer’s movements. Her body is also adorned with jewelry—on her ears, nose, and neck that outlines her hair.\n\nGiven our current situation with COVID, much of world is going digital, and performing arts are also adapting. However, online Bharatanatyam sessions are offered by Aiswarya Lakshmi. The sessions allow participants to have a similar learning experience from a mentor or teacher. Having gotten her Bharatanatyam training from the prestigious Kalakshetra Foundation, India, her sessions follow the dancing and teaching methods of the school. The focus on the Bharatanatyam vocabulary and basics of dance textual traditions will sculpt a participant into an artist themselves and a better connoisseur of classical Indian arts.\n\nFor further information, send Aiswarya Lakshmi a message at lakshmi.aiswaryaa@gmail.com\n\nPhoto 1 : Dear All, Image courtesy of Prateeba Mayuran, Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancer, Dance photographer, Chennai, India\nPhoto 2 : Handful of Flowers, Image courtesy of Prateeba Mayuran, Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancer, Dance photographer, Chennai, IndiaYear2021NationIndia
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SAFEGUARDING THE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF ANGKORAngkor in Cambodia is a World Heritage Site (inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1992) renowned for its archaeological and architectural significance. It contains artistic masterpieces of Khmer sculpture and design and is known for its regional influence of Khmer art. The tangible heritage aspects of Angkor have received global recognition and have been the focus of remarkable international conservation and restoration efforts in recent decades. Angkor, however, is also the site of lesser-known, yet unique, forms of intangible heritage, many of which have links to the Angkorian and pre-Angkorian periods. Over the past four years I have researched the intangible heritage of Angkor and potential mechanisms for its safeguarding. Many of the forms of intangible cultural heritage researched are intricately associated with the daily activities of people who live around the monuments of Angkor. These activities are related to the belief system of local Khmer and are often deeply intermingled with Buddhist and animistic values as well as familial and agricultural knowledge.Year2009NationCambodia
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Badal Mahal Museum: Promoting Vagad Cultural Heritage and EcotourismDungarpur is in the southwestern part of Rajasthan, India. The region is also known as Vagad, where inhabitants are mostly tribal communities. Along with great cultural diversity, Vagad is also known for its natural beauty and traditional craftsmanship like stone sculpture, wooden dolls, and toy making. Communities like Sompura and Tirgar from Dungarpur and nearby areas have learned craftsmanship from their ancestors. Stone sculpture and wooden crafts by Sompura and Tirgar artists, respectively, are perceived as intangible cultural heritage of the region. Old palaces and heritage buildings like Badal Mahal Museum (BMM) are living relics of traditional stone architecture and sculptures.\n\nThe Municipal Corporation of Dungarpur has transformed the BMM building into a unique cultural display to preserve and promote tribal and rural lifestyle, history, and crafts. The museum has been designed by heritage expert Monish Paliwal and intangible cultural heritage researchers Lokesh Paliwal and Dinesh Kothari.\n\nAn open stone sculpture gallery including Mother Nature Park showcases a Sompura stone sculpture and features traditional and modern subjects. The scenes of rural and tribal kitchens and shrines explore the simple lifestyle of rural communities. BMM has set up a royal lifestyle on the top floor of the building, which includes a collection of weaponry, vessels, turbans, and other articles.\n\nAveraging a thousand visitors per month, BMM is helping to promote cultural heritage and ecotourism while providing exposure and a market for local arts and crafts, a significant contribution in a time when traditional heritage needs a larger role in public life.\n\nPhoto : Badal Mahal Museum exhibit © Lokesh PaliwalYear2018NationIndia