There are three types of "shadow theater: large shadow theater, small shadow theater, and colored shadow theatre. "Large Shadow Puppet or Lkhon Sbaek Thom" is one of the oldest and most revered theaters in the country. It is interesting that in the inscription of Wat Baseth (K, 78) written in AD. 668 and 677 with the word "tokkatak" and the inscription of Kork Chak temple (K. 155) in the 7th century CE, there was the word "tokk tor", which are now called "tokkaktar". A picture that can be held up or down or a drawing that plays a story. Although it is not possible to confirm that this word is an ancient Khmer word called for "shadow theater", but it is also a proof or idea for consideration. The Lkhon Sbaek Thom only plays the story of Reamker, which is an ancient epic, and because the story of Reamker is too long, the whole story is never performed. Therefore, it is only excerpted the scene only. Traditionally, Lkhon Sbaek Thom is performed only in large ceremonies that are characterized by faith, devotion, prayer, and so on. Major ceremonies with large shadows include the Royal Cremation Ceremony and the Royal Family, Samdech Preah Sangkhareach, Chao Athikar Wat, Coronation Ceremony, and Birthday Celebration of the King, Chao Athikar Wat .... As for the ceremonies in the villages and districts, there are burial ceremonies in Khan Seima, the Inauguration Ceremony of the Buddha Statue, the ceremony for various achievements in the pagoda, Bon Phum, and so on. Lkhon Sbaek Thom is performed with a white canvas, about 2-3 meters wide, about 8-10 meters long, stretching about 1 meter above the ground. Behind the white cloth, there is a fireplace about 1 meter above the ground for lighting to illuminate the skin on the white cloth. Before the performance, they have to hold a ceremony to offer and pray to the masters and the souls. In that ceremony, a puppet shadow is put in front of the stage, and the most important image is Ey Sei, which is placed in the center and accompanied by the main characters, such as Noreay Pleng Sor, Preah Ream, Krong Reap, Hanuman, etc. In front of the skin, they prepare offerings of Bay Sei, Sla Thor, bananas, Mlu Sla, flowers, candles, incense, and rice ... as well as a bowl of blessing water. During the ceremony, all the performers must come and light candles and incense, with a teacher leading the prayer ceremony. At the end of the ceremony, the performance begins with the performer (also known as the "Neak Jert Sbaek") picking up a piece of Sbaek that is already arranged according to the story, places it next to the white cloth to reflect the shadows, and move it up and down with the rhythm of the music, accompanied by a narrative voice. In a fighting scene, the Sbaek are placed one on top of the other, or sometimes the two Sbaek are pressed against each other, slightly apart from the canvas, in order to make the fighting scene more realistic, leaving the two skins behind the performers to turn to a fight, pretend that the Sbaek is fighting like that. The audience can easily understand the story of the large shadow drama because of the narrator. That is why the narrator has a very important role. The narrators are usually old people who know the story well, although sometimes they have to look to the Sastra for help. Narrators sometimes have one and sometimes two to correspond. The words that are said are a collection of words, a poem and a list of words. The best narrator is one who uses humorous words to make the audience laugh. The fire that accompanies the large shadow theater is the music of Pin Peat ensemble. Usually, the skins for the large shadow theatre are made of cow skin, but according to some opinions, the main characters such as Ey Sei, Eyso and Noreay in ancient times were made from the skins of big tigers or bears, because these characters have higher power than the other characters. Freshly peeled skin is first cleaned and "killed" by staining the ashes and soaking in boiling water. The type of wood that is used to soak the leather is mixed with a strong sour and bitter wood so that it gives the leather color, lasts a long time and prevents insects from eating. Then the leather is carved into pictures according to the desired story. When carved, the bark is boiled to make ink to turn the leather brown, and the most important bark is the middle bark. Finally, a bamboo stick is used to tie the leather vertically, using one or two bamboo strips the size of the figure to hold the skin so that the leather can be held for the performance. According to research reports, between the 1960s-70s, there are large shadow theater groups in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Battambang. In 1965, the large shadow theater troupe was formed in the traditional dance troupe under the "National Preservation of Performance" and later become the "Department of Performing Arts", now under the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts. In addition to the large shadow theater group of the Department of Performing Arts, there are also large shadow groups of the Arts Associations and Communities such as large shadow group, Sovannaphum Arts Association (Phnom Penh), Kork Thlok Arts Association (Phnom Penh), Wat Reach Bo (Siem Reap), Large shadow troupe Lok Ta Ty Chien (Siem Reap), large shadow group Lok Ta Hing (Siem Reap) and Banteay Meanchey Provincial Department of Culture.

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

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

The Watertight-Bulkhead Technology of Chinese Junks is an age-old craft for the construction of ocean-going vessels with watertight compartments in South China’s Fujian Province. The vessels are made mainly of camphor, pine and fir timber, and assembled through use of traditional carpenters’ tools. They are built by applying the key technologies of rabbet-jointing planks together and caulking the seams between the planks with ramie, lime and tung oil. A master craftsman designs and directs the whole process. A large number of craftsmen work in close coordination to build solidly rabbeted ocean-going vessels consisting of multiple independently watertight cabins. The core technology for building such vessels is called The Watertight-Bulkhead Technology of Chinese Junks. Watertight bulkheads are the most important step in building Chinese junks. To start with, the craftsmen build an integral hull by joining the vessel’s bilge and sides. The hull is then divided into cabins according to the function and size of the ship. The whole process is manual. Planks are rabbet-jointed together. And then interlocked to the bilge and on to frames or held with crampons. Ramie fibber, lime and tung oil are mixed in the proper proportion to wedge into any gaps between planks and make the cabins waterproof. The tools are largely those used by traditional Chinese carpenters, such as axes, carpenter’s ink markers, hand drills, rulers, maces, pit saws, chisels and planers. Chinese junks are subdivided into multiple watertight cabins. If in the course of navigation one or two cabins are accidentally damaged, seawater will not flood other cabins. The vessel will not sink, but remain afloat. This greatly improves navigation safety. This technology has been widely used over the centuries in fishing vessels, cargo ships, warships, and diplomatic vessels. In particular, Fujian’s ocean-going cargo ships sailing along the Maritime Silk Road during the Song and Yuan dynasties, and the fleets commanded by Ming Dynasty navigator Zheng He in his seven voyages to the West, fully adopted this technology. The technology has served as a bridge and unifier in the exchange between Eastern and Western civilizations. In the late 18th century this technology was finally adopted in the West. Since then Watertight bulkheads have become an important structural element in modern ship design, remain so today and have greatly enhanced navigation safety.

China 2010

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Nakhwajang refers to the art of decorating paper, wood, or leather by burning a drawing (typically a landscape or birds and flowers) on the surface with a heated iron. It is also used to refer to the masters of the art. The origins of pyrography in Korea can be found in a relevant entry (entitled "Nakhwa byeonjeungseol") in the 19th-century encyclopedia Oju yeonmun jangjeon sango compiled by the late-Joseon scholar Yi Gyu-gyeong (1788–1863). Since the early 19th century, the technique of pyrography has been transmitted mainly in the Imsil area of Jeollabuk-do Province. Korean pyrography is primarily based on traditional Korean painting. It borrows a range of "texture strokes" (junbeop) and other brush and ink techniques from ink wash painting. However, all these traditional expressive methods are executed with a heated iron rather than a brush. Proficiency in manipulating the heated iron is critical to the execution of nakhwajang.

Parzo is the art of carving on wood, stone and slate. This art is evident throughout the country displayed magnificently on wooden structures of fortresses, palaces, stupas, temples, traditional houses and even on furniture. The following section describes some forms of carving. a. Woodcarving: Wood has been one of the most widely used resources in the country. Some of the masks worn by dancers during the festivals, the altars in the shrine room of any house, containers like bowls and cups, sheaths and handles of knives and swords, xylographic blocks are all carved out of wood. b. Choesham, Decorative Items and Furniture: Every house has a choesham (altar) entirely made of wood. Generally the altars will have carvings like choetsi and other designs such as dragons, flowers, eight lucky signs and mythological animals, on the main structure in accordance with the desires of the owner. On the upper part of the structure called gu-chag the altar will have the designs called pema, norbu, bagam, boh and ngangpa. Cabinets, chogdroms, divans, decorative floral items, religious motifs like dragons, tashi tagye and various legendary animals are carved out of wood. The three sides of chogdrom (traditional portable table) are carved with dragons, flowers or other legendary animals. Dramnyen, the traditional Bhutanese guitar is carved from wood in an intricate dragon design. The fingerboard is usually decorated with colourful traditional symbols. The hollowed sound box is covered with goatskin, and attached with either silk or nylon strings. c. Masks: The Bhutanese make various shapes and sizes of masks from semi-hardwood, usually blue pine to depict the face of gods, animals and mythological figures. These carved wooden masks are used in the sacred and religious dances. Carved wooden masks are also popular as decorations in houses, dzongs, temples and monasteries. d. Xylography: Before the invention of wood carving tradition in Bhutan, all religious texts and official documents were primarily written by hand. With the introduction of woodblock carving and printing technique by Terton Pema Lingpa (1450-1521), religious texts and images have been carved on woodblocks, thereby reproducing numerous copies, by printing on paper and textiles. Each and every temple and monastery in Bhutan hold a copy of the Buddhist cannons (the teachings) and commentaries on the teachings. Many of the texts from the cannon have been carved on wood, and reproduced by printing on paper. Woodblock carving is usually carried out on dried birch wood. To make a wooden block for carving, the woodblock is adequately oiled to make it soft and smooth for carving. The wooden block surface is then planed smooth on which the written text is glued. Once the paper has dried, it is removed from the block leaving the image of the scripts on the woodblock. The mirror image of the texts that need to be printed is left on the surface while those parts not required are removed with gouges or chisels. The texts are then carved with the help of chisels. Images and other patras (intricate designs) are carved only on to one side of the wooden block, whereas religious texts are carved on both sides of the woodblock. The carved woodblock is then coated with ink, and a sheet of paper is placed over the inked blocks. The paper is then rubbed and pressed with a roller to get the text printed. It is then left to dry either in shed or sun. Four different kinds of tools are used for xylography such as zhogthig, yatag, segchung. Round letters are carved using the tip of the mindrug with its sharp crescent shape tip. The tip of the yatag with its more relaxed crescent shape is used to carve the sub-bending yatag script. Similar to the typical Bhutanese knife; the tip of segchung is slightly slanted and carves the rest of the letters of the scripts. Zhogthig, with its wider and large tip is used to carve the lines in the space on the edge of the text that maintain the outer margin. e. Stone Carving: In Bhutan, carving on stones is not as diverse or common as wood carving but it existed in Bhutan. One comes across huge water driven grinding stone mills, hollowed-out stones used for pounding and husking grains, troughs for feeding animals, images of deities, gods and religious figures carved onto large rocks. In Bhutan, stones were also carved to make stone pots and utensils, but today these have become rare because of modern alternatives. f. Slate Carving: Slate carving is another form of art that is being practiced in Bhutan. Slate, called as do nag, is found in abundance in Bhutan, and the artisan is known as donag lopen. Portraits depicting deities and religious figures, inscriptions of mantras and religious scripts are carved onto slates, and adorned onto the exterior walls of temples, monasteries, dzongs and choetens. Apart from carving on wood, stone and slate, the Bhutanese people also carve images of gods and deities on rhino horns and ivory.

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

Regong Arts mainly refer to Buddhism formative arts such as Thangka, mural, barbola, sculpture on which Tibetan and Tu folk handicraftsmen depend to pass on their making knowledge and manual technical skills. The content of Regong Arts consists of Tibetan Buddhism, mythical stories, epics and traditional knowledge. And the main painting materials include painting cloth, painting brush, dyestuff, prepared Chinese ink, red soil, silk and glue. Thangka, mural, barbola, and sculpture are widely used in Tibetan Buddhism temples and farmers’ or herdsmen’s houses. Every handicraftsman has his own fixed place to make material objects. Regong Arts have originated in 13th century and stemmed mainly from Tibetan Mantang school. After they were introduced into Regong area, Regong Arts have formed an important distinctive school of Tibetan Buddhism arts. Regong Arts have various forms with unique features. 1. Thangka, the pronunciation of its Tibetan counterpart, refers to religious scroll paintings which are used to worship Buddha, myths and figures who invented some useful technology after being mounted with colourful satin. The main technological process of making Thangka is as follows: first, the fine white cloth or coarse linen should be stretched on a wooden embroidery frame; secondly, base powder and thin glue sheet are used at the bottom and polished; thirdly, according to the content, the painter draws an outline with charcoal pencils made by himself about religious figures, birds and beasts and flowers and trees, etc.; fourthly, the painter puts the glue into various natural minerals and animals or plants dyes, and then he uses these painting materials to draw the picture with the special painting brush; finally, the finished picture is mounted carefully. Thangka is famous for its sophisticated workmanship, contents and bright colors in the world. 2. Barbola is a kind of Thangka made from silk fabric. Its main forms are Barbola Thangka, Barbola veiling, Barbola column ornaments etc. It is made from silk and brocade where pictures, figures, animals and plants are accurately cutting and sewn. Its techniques and effects take place in two forms: soft relief which combines folk embroidery and filled relief; and pasted and patched soft fabric which are cut to make different forms. Barbola has the strong stereoscopic image. 3. Regong sculpture comprises clay sculpture in addition to wooden sculpture, stone inscription, brick sculpture etc. Clay sculpture takes place in two forms: multi-colour and single-colour. Its process includes selection and finalization, clay processing, keel structuring, filling in, outline shaping, partial adjustment and inlaying gold lines or colour painting etc. Rafters, vaults, sunk panels, column ornaments, and tubular lections in temples and door curtains, credences, tea tables and lection cabinets in farmers’ or herdsmen’s houses are all sophisticated wooden sculptures. Stone inscription is that lections are imprinted on the slates or figures of Buddha are made in an intaglio plate. In addition, there is relief used in the stack of lection stones. After being created, Regong Arts are passed on generations by generations. Regong Arts are manual skills grasped by some villagers. Based on the special art forms, they combine traditional knowledge with history memory and come the Arts down. The art forms are widely recognized by dwellers in Tibetan communities and traditional craftsmen in China. At present, 520 folk artists engage in the artistic creation of Regong Arts. Passing on the Arts mainly takes place between fathers and children, or between masters and apprentices. Inheritors can be monks or folk artists. When learning Thangka, Barbola or sculpture, the painters must strictly follow the Buddhism painting book Lection of Measurement, starting from line-drawing, figure shaping, colour matching, pattern design and sizing. Regong Arts are featured with the unification of Tibetan Buddhism and traditional culture. Its influence can be found in surrounding provinces such as Tibet, Gansu, Inner Mongolia, Yunnan, Sichuan, and even South-eastern Asian countries.

China 2009