ALL
granite
ICH Elements 3
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Stone carving
Stone carving (stone cutting) is an ancient art of Uzbeks as well. Artefacts found during archaeological excavations say, that the very first treated stones in Uzbekistan belong to the Paleolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age. The masters of those times knew how to process the stone, knew the techniques for transporting heavy solid stones, used lever devices to lift them, knew which stones were lighter and which were more difficult to process, already had tools to give pattern and relief to the stone. Their wide use of granite, marble, limestone and gypsum is indicated by excavations of ancient monuments in southern Uzbekistan - in the towns of Koratepe, Fayaztepe, Ayritash. Here Buddhist temples were decorated with carved stone, sculptures were created from stone. Later, stone cutting became a craft, and the art of stone carving reached its height in Maverannahr, Khorasan, Khorezm and other territories. For example, during the reign of Amir Temur, architectural masterpieces such as Gor-Emir, Shahi-Zinda, the Bibihanum mosque, the Ahmad Yassawi mausoleum and much more were created, where magnificent sculptures and carved stone with letters are presented. The displaced stone is magnificent - the tombstone of the great Temur and the grates carved from marble in Gori Emir. A lot of stone and marble was used in the architecture of ancient Khiva. The entire foundation of the palaces is laid out there by them, and they are all carved from geometric and floral figures. The stone-cutting walls of the Khiva Palace of Tashavli can be considered a magnificent example of beautiful stone carving, it is therefore called the Stone Courtyard. There are several types of stone carving: line threads, chain, lattice, deep, multi-layer, flat threads, etc. It also matters which stone works with - soft, pliable, medium hardness or hard.
Uzbekistan -
Seokjang (Stone Masonry)
National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Seokjang, the skills of stone masonry and master masons, were indispensable to the construction of Buddhist temples and palaces. Masons participated in the projects by crafting Buddhist statues, pagodas, and bridges from stone. The numerous stone artifacts handed down from the Three Kingdoms Period (1st century BCE ~ 7th century CE) attest to the advanced standard of stone masonry accomplished by ancient Koreans. Granite was the most popular material among Korean masons throughout history since it is one of the most widely distributed stones in the country; they also used agalmatolite, bluestone, and marble. Working with simple tools such as hammers and chisels, the stone masons breathed life into their solid inanimate material, thereby cultivating a refined art form. With the introduction of machine carving, however, traditional stone craftsmanship has gradually disappeared in modern times. The time-honored skills of ancient Korean stone masons have been designated as important intangible cultural heritage so that they can be effectively preserved and transmitted to future generations.
South Korea -
Jato: Traditional Grinding Stone
Jato is a grinding stone made from hard stones mined from the river valleys. Not all stones can be used in making the element. There are two types of grinding stones. The best quality granite is called Kuring (black hard stone). The grinding stone for maize is usually big and rough and grinding stone for millet is smooth. The grinding stone for millet can be any hard big in size stones. Grinding stone for maize is obtained from the cliff of the river valley. It is a thick circular flat stone where the lower part of the element is usually bigger than the upper part. The inside surface is rough to grind maize while the Jato for grinding millet has smooth surface inside and the shapes are similar yet the size is usually smaller than the grinding stone for maize. The use of Jato dates back to time immemorial. People in the villages used the element in grinding maize and millet. It was also used for bartering essentials items when economic status was so limited. They made the element depending on the order of the customers then and now it has declined due to the emergence of electronic machines/varying gadgets.
Bhutan