Elements
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EE00001543
ПИЁЛАБОЗӢ, косабозӣ
Performing art of playing a bowl or tea cup on the end of a stick. Player some times uses three cups or he puts water in them. This kind of art is used usually in the wedding celebration and holidays.
Tajikistan -
EE00001134
Zuun tsaast hozor(cards with hundred leafs)
Zuun tsaast khőzőr or Card with hundred leafs, is one of the intangible cultural heritage elements that were being transmitted for hundreds of years in the Uriankhai ethnic group. According to people, this game of card with hundred leafs was invented for declining the gambling games of Manchu and the ordinary card game. This tradition has its own specific rules. People play this game from December 22 to until spring comes (from the beginning to the end of the nine 9 of Mongolian winter). Herders keep their livestock in the fence early, and play this game in the long nights of the winter. Before start the game people who are joining in this game will wash their hands, and get blessing from card, and then hosting person will open the game. Uriankhai people play this game for checking the luck of that year, and to remove the all the bad energies and for inviting the every good things and happiness to their life.
Mongolia -
EE00002578
Zungbuel: Installation of Inner Relic
Statues, stupas and other religious structures are common sights in Bhutan. They are gorgeous to look at but without proper zung or inner relics, they have no spiritual values. If the statue is not filled in with the zung, it is believed that malevolent spirits get into the statue and cause harm to people. Therefore, installing zung in these structures is very important. With the installation of zung, the religious structure or statues become a living entity capable of bestowing blessings. Zung bestow them with spiritual importance and sacredness, hence inserting zung is tantamount to installing a soul in the body. Ideally, zung offering should be done by an ordained monk who does not eat meat, onion, garlic, drink alcohol, smoke or chew tobacco and has taken the vow of celibacy, but such a person is very rare to find in this modern era. Zung consists of scriptures in the form of mantras or prayers, and precious objects, supported by a sogshing (life wood) in the centre. The sogshing must be a fruit bearing tree with fragrant leaves such as juniper, cypress or sandalwood. It is cut into four sides tapering towards the tip while its base is kept in vajra shape. The whole sogshing is painted red and mantras are inscribed on the four sides in gold. The size of the sogshing depends on the height of the statue or stupa. Mantra rolls are an important component in filling the religious objects. Thus, Holy Scriptures or mantras are printed and rolled but each roll is marked to ensure the right order of the scripts for installation, as Bhutanese believe that installing scriptures upside down may cause more harm than good. Various other important components such as body, speech, and mind relics of great lamas, precious metals and a small statue (terma) are placed around the sogshing, which is then wrapped in silk brocade. After fitting the sogshing, rolls of mantras printed on papers and stuffed with sandalwood powders along with incense are arranged around it. The stuffed items will keep the zung items firmly in their respective positions. When every possible space is completely filled, the base is sealed with a bronze sheet. Finally, a consecration ceremony is performed to make the object fit for worship and refuge.
Bhutan -
EE00001896
ZOGHOBU
A kind of traditional children game. Participants come toghether and put their hands in the centre, over each other. Then singing a song by turn take out their hands.
Tajikistan -
EE00001572
ZIYORATI MAZOR
Visiting sacred places and cemeteries with the healing and wishes purposes.
Tajikistan -
EE00001946
ZIYORATGOH, mazor, oston, qadamjo
Holy places. In Tajikistan, many sacred places (zieratgoh), associated with the legends, traditions, rituals, beliefs and customs of worship. Next to every holy place there are special buildings for the gathering, prayers, and kitchens for cooking. People usually visit the sacred sites usually on Wednesdays, but it is open to the public there on other days.
Tajikistan -
EE00001689
ZINSOZI, zintaroshi
Craft of making zin (saddle). Saddles are made from wood of strong trees and it is covered with skin of cows.
Tajikistan -
EE00002575
Zhugdre phunsum tshogpa: Ceremonial seating
The phrase in Dzongkha literally means ‘seated in the rows’ whereby participants are seated in rows at the ceremony, which is called zhugdre phunsun tshogpa. The zhugdre ceremony originates from the tantric teachings of Buddhism and has been adopted to be performed during happy and auspicious occasions. Phunsum tshogpa means grace, glory and wealth combined to represent the three essences of happiness. The ceremony begins with a general invocation to the higher beings that have helped shape the destiny of the kingdom and made it a land of peace and tranquility. Their powers and blessings are sought for the acquisition of the triple attributes of grace, glory and wealth. The ceremony is held during important functions to mark such occasions as promotion, marriages, visits of high dignitaries and consecration and inaugural functions for new buildings and enterprises. For the zhugdre ceremony, participants are seated in order of rank and seniority. The dignitary who is being honoured sits at the head of the row, usually facing all the participants. Once everyone is settled, different items of offerings are made first to the shrine and then to the dignitaries and participants. The first offering comprises the sweet root known in Bhutan as droem (in Sanskrit,kesar) and fragrant saffron water (drizang) and tea with saffron rice. This is followed by the offering of marchang and chagep (token money), and other food items such as zhugdre offering. Zhugdre begins with doma (betel nut) and paney (betel leaf ) and then a fruit that grows on a tree high up from the ground to signify the importance of the occasion. The number of items can range from 11 to 21 or as many as can be afforded in terms of time and resource, but they must end in an odd number and with a hard item such as walnut or chugo (dried cheese) to signify indestructibility by malignant spirits. Prayers are recited while the offerings are being distributed. In Bhutan, the beginning of zhugdre ceremony dates back to 1616 when Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, arriving from Tibet, was received with a zhugdre ceremony by Lam Druk Namgyal of the Obtsho family at a place called Lebnathang in Gasa District. Then at the consecration of Punakha Dzong, an elaborate zhugdre phunsum tshogpa was performed and the ceremony gained immense popularity thereafter. In order to receive what is being served during the occasion, participants are expected to bring their own phop (bowl) and torey (small piece of cloth, usually white, to receive food items) to the ceremony to receive what is being served during the occasion. The final stage of the zhugdre ceremony, known as trashi moelam, is a prayer for the good health, wellbeing and prosperity of the dignitaries and those present on the occasion. It is designed to help guests accumulate merits in order to attain the highest qualities of which man is capable, in this way benefiting not only those present on the occasion but also all sentient beings.
Bhutan -
EE00001956
Zhong Yuan Jie (Hungry Ghost Festival)
Zhong Yuan Jie (中元节) takes place on the seventh month of the Lunar calendar. It is mostly observed by Chinese Buddhists and Taoists who believe that during this time, colloquially known as “seventh month” or 七月 (“seventh month” in Chinese), the gates of Hell are opened, releasing spirits who roam the earth. The period is also commonly referred to as “Hungry Ghost Festival”, with reference to the belief that spirits are hungry because they do not have descendants to make offerings to them. However, it is not just mischievous spirits who roam the earth during the seventh month – it is also believed that dead ancestors may come back to observe the living. Hence, there are various practices associated with entertaining and appeasing these spirits. For instance, believers will burn joss sticks, paper offerings and make food offerings. There will also be large-scale performances called getai (歌台)which provide entertainment to both the spirits and the living.
Singapore -
EE00002035
Zhetygen - Traditional musical instrument
Zhetygen (kaz "zhe-igeen" - "seven strings") - is an ancient Kazakh and Turkish polychord musical instrument with soft and melodious sound, resembling a harp or reclined Gusli. Musical instrument’s name comes from its original form, which had seven strings. The origin of zhetygen associated with its legendary foundation. The essence of the legend associated with the tragic situation in the family of old nomad who lost seven sons due to the jute ('dzut' - a massive loss of livestock from starvation). Improvised music and sounds made during the play on zhetygen resembled images of children and reflected the grief of the father, alternately deceased sons. Since zhetygen became a symbol of the powerlessness of man in front of the elements of nature and the chaos of the universe. Zhetygen contributed to the emergence of instrumental kuy plays, the first of which is considered 'Zhetigenning zheteui' ('Seven kuys of zhetygen'). The most ancient type of zhetygen was an oblong box, carved from a piece of wood strung with seven strings. There was no upper sounding board, but there were pegs made of assyk (kaz. "assyq" - talus bone of a sheep and less frequently other small cattle) on this type of zhetygen. The strings are stretched by hand from the outside of the tool. Later zhetygen’s upper part was covered with a wooden deck. Under each string are substituted assyks on both sides acting as pegs. Moving them, you can set the string.
Kazakhstan 2013 -
EE00000017
Zhana Ngacham: Black Hat Drum Dance
The name Zhana Ngacham comes from the zhana (black hats) worn by the dancers and the use of the ngachung (small drum) during the Cham performance. It is another form of Zhana Cham (black hat dance). Usually, the dance is performed mainly by monks in dzongs (fortresses), monasteries and temples during Tshechu (annual mask dance festival) and also during Drubchen (large ritual ceremonies). However, sometimes the dancers are replaced by lay people if there are no monastic facilities in the community. The dance falls under the category of Tsun cham (monastic mask dance performances). The dancers wear a long brocade robe called phoegho with long and wide sleeve ends, a dorji gong (a crossed vajra collar) over the shoulder, and two phoe-cho or phoe-tog, a horn-like tool attached to either side of the hips that helps the robe turn smoothly and elegantly as the dancers twirl. The distinctive feature of the Black Hat dance is the black, spherical hat with decorations in the shape of a human skull and peacock quill, and Thro-pang, an angry face wrapped around the front of the abdomen. Zhana Ngacham is usually performed by 21 dancers under the direction of Cham-pon (dance leader) and Cham-jug (deputy leader). In the seventeenth century, Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (1594-1651) is revered for giving more importance to the performance of such dances and including them in the curricula of the central monastery under the title Gar-thig-yang-sum (mask dances, proportions [mandala drawing] and ritual intonation) to establish them in the field of cultural heritage in Bhutan.
Bhutan -
EE00002041
Zergerlyk - Kazakh jewelry art
Jewellery art (kaz. 'zergerlyk') - is knowledge and skills in the field of traditional Kazakh art manufacturing of silverware. Since ancient times, there were produced a variety of silver jewelry: rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, pendants, buckles and much more. Especially highly prized precious silver vessels, such as jugs, bowls, mugs, decorated with engraved images. Archeological findings suggest that Kazakh people achieved a higher level in the development of jewellery making. Chylik findings were made using such techniques as stamping, engraving, true grain, incrustation (VII-V century BC); Issyk finding included “Golden warrior” (IV-III century BC); Berel kurgan findings (IV-VI century BC) from Eastern Kazakhstan are the testimony of a unique “animal style” in jewellery making. Jewellery is mainly made with silver. This craft is widespread across Kazakhstan but each region has its specifications concerning technique and design. Jewelry sets are made for men, women, and children; as well jewellery making is used for decorating musical instruments, household items, weaponry and horse gears; some made for rituals, others have symbolic or sacred value. Zergerlyk used for making details in men’s clothing, rider’s gear, horse riding gear, for example, horse equipment (er-tuman), traditional belts (beldyk, kyseh beldyk and kyemer belbeu), sword and knives’ handles and scabbards, powder flask (okhshantai), snuffboxes (nasybai). Women’s decorative items include forehead jewellery (shekelyk), braid jewellery (shashbau), earrings (syrgha), necklaces (alkhah, onirzhiyek, tumar), bracelets and cuffs (bilezyk), rings (zhuzyk), belt buckles (khapsyrmah), buttons (tyuime), personal hygiene items (tyss tazlaghysh, khulakh tazlaghysh), tools for crafting, spindle (urshykh), thimble (oymakh). Zergers also make child’s cradle set: bessyk (cradle), shumek (tube to flow urine), syldyrmakh (rattle), yemyzik (pacifier), tumar (amulet, charm) and other items. The jewelry pieces in the form of circle, oval, triangle, half oval, rectangular, petal, peak and beak are frequently combined to make a larger piece, for example pectoral decorative items onzhyrek and alkah are made of several triangle and rectangular plates, khudaghy zhuzik (a special large double ring presented when marriage brokerage occurs) and bes-blezyk (a bracelet connected with chains with three rings). Geometric style from Western Kazakhstan is famous for large-scale decorative items that are assembled from pre-made pieces that are joined together by soldering (plates, borders, solar symbols, grain). Most common techniques include true grain, plated filigree, stamping, embossing, engraving, niello, enamel, casting, forging, and incrustation with precious and semi-precious stones. Stone (tas) are sliced flat and are called eye (koz) as they considered to be protection charms. The most popular stone is cornelian (akhykh) as it symbolizes prosperity and joy.
Kazakhstan