Important Intangible Cultural Properties
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| Important Intangible Cultural Properties | |
|---|---|
| Name | Important Intangible Cultural Properties |
| Location | Worldwide |
| Established | Various national laws |
| Administrators | State and local bodies |
Important Intangible Cultural Properties are formally recognized manifestations of traditional culture and artistic expression designated under statutory regimes such as the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties (Japan), the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, and comparable measures in states like South Korea, France, Spain, United Kingdom, India, China, and United States. These designations frequently involve designation by agencies including the Agency for Cultural Affairs (Japan), the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Ministry of Culture (France), and provincial or municipal cultural bureaus in cities such as Kyoto, Seoul, Beijing, Madrid, Paris, and New Delhi.
Definition and Legal Framework
Laws such as the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties (Japan), the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, and national statutes in South Korea, Philippines, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Turkey, and Egypt define intangible cultural properties as living practices including Noh, Kabuki, Batik, Flamenco, Tango (dance), Samba, Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Peking opera, and ritual forms tied to places like Varanasi and Istanbul. Administrative instruments such as registers, inventories, and lists administered by bodies like the Intangible Cultural Heritage Section (UNESCO), the Cultural Heritage Administration (South Korea), and local offices in Osaka or Buenos Aires set legal protections, financial support, and recognition criteria for bearers and transmission activities.
Categories and Criteria
Categories recognized under various systems include performing arts exemplified by Noh, Kabuki, Beijing opera, and Kathakali; craftsmanship represented by Batik, Sashiko, Scottish tartan weaving, and Moroccan zellij; oral traditions such as the epics preserved in Homeric scholarship, Epic of Gilgamesh studies, and regional narration in Nigeria and Peru; social practices and festive events like Gion Matsuri, Carnival of Rio de Janeiro, Semana Santa (Seville), Chinese New Year, and indigenous ceremonies in Amazonas (Brazil), Quebec, and Siberia. Criteria used by institutions like the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and national commissions evaluate authenticity, community involvement, transmission mechanisms, historical continuity, and viability as applied to items such as Korean Jongmyo Jerye, Sado (tea ceremony), Argentine tango, Basque bertsolaritza, and Mongolian throat singing.
Designation Process and Administration
Designation typically involves nomination by practitioners or communities, documentation by bodies such as the National Trust (United Kingdom), the Agency for Cultural Affairs (Japan), the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (Turkey), and academic partners from institutions like Tokyo University, Peking University, University of Buenos Aires, SOAS University of London, and Jawaharlal Nehru University. Committees composed of representatives from ministries, cultural foundations like the Ford Foundation, and advisory councils including scholars of folklore and performers of Noh or Kathak assess submissions before ministerial designation or listing by the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee. Administrative outcomes often include stipends, transmission grants from entities like the Asia Cultural Center, training programs with conservatories such as the Paris Conservatoire, and registration with municipal archives in Kyoto, Seoul, Lisbon, and Mexico City.
Examples by Country and Region
In Japan examples include masters designated as holders of Noh and guardians of biwa performance; in South Korea recognized forms include pansori and jangseung rituals; in China listings feature Kunqu, Peking opera, and regional crafts in Suzhou and Gansu; in India items include Kathakali, Dhrupad, and regional crafts from Rajasthan and Kerala; in Spain and Portugal examples include Flamenco and traditional Azulejo craftsmanship; in Brazil and Argentina the lists feature Samba, Capoeira, and Tango (dance), while in Morocco, Turkey, Greece, Mexico, Peru, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Canada, United States, Australia, and New Zealand a range of ritual, performance, and craft traditions have been recognized at national or international levels.
Preservation, Transmission, and Education
Safeguarding strategies link ministries and institutions such as the Agency for Cultural Affairs (Japan), the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Section, conservatories like the Royal Academy of Music, museums such as the British Museum, and universities including Harvard University and University of Tokyo to community bearers, master-apprentice systems in guilds of Suzhou artisans or Scots weavers, school curricula in Seoul and Kyoto, festivals like Gion Matsuri and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and digital initiatives by archives at the Library of Congress and the Bibliothèque nationale de France to document and transmit practices such as Kabuki, pansori, molinillos crafting, and indigenous storytelling in Nunavut.
Challenges and Controversies
Controversies arise around commercialization evident in Tour de France-era branding disputes, intellectual property tensions involving entities like the World Intellectual Property Organization, community consent issues highlighted in cases from Easter Island and Chiapas, authenticity debates in revivals of Kabuki and reconstructed Hittite performances, and resource allocation disputes between national ministries such as the Ministry of Culture (France) and municipal bodies in Lyon or Barcelona. Other challenges include transmission gaps in diasporas in New York City and London, climate impacts on place-based rituals in Venice and Bangkok, and legal conflicts touching on cultural appropriation debated in forums including the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the United Nations Human Rights Council.