Living National Treasures

Living National Treasures
Name	Living National Treasures
Caption	Honorary title for exemplary practitioners of intangible cultural heritage
Country	Multinational
Established	Various (20th century)
Purpose	Recognition and preservation of intangible cultural heritage

Living National Treasures are honorary titles awarded to exemplar practitioners of recognized intangible cultural heritage such as traditional crafts, performing arts, and oral traditions. These designations appear in diverse systems administered by state and non-state institutions to safeguard skills exemplified by master artisans, performers, and bearers of community knowledge. Recipients often act as repositories and transmitters of practices linked to named cultural forms, historic sites, museums, and festivals.

Definition and Criteria

Programs designate designated individuals under statutes, charters, and ordinances that specify criteria including technical mastery, lineage, and social function within named communities and institutions. Criteria documents may cite standards from international instruments such as the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and align with national laws like the Cultural Property regulations of jurisdictions including Japan, South Korea, France, United Kingdom, Mexico, and Canada. Appointments typically involve peer review panels drawing members from bodies such as the Japan Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Korean Cultural Heritage Administration, Smithsonian Institution, and municipal offices like the Tokyo Metropolitan Government or provincial cultural ministries.

Historical Origins and Development

The modern model traces intellectual genealogy to mid‑20th‑century conservation efforts and cultural policies after global conflicts and decolonization, informed by institutions such as the British Museum, Museo Nacional de Antropología (Mexico), and the Smithsonian Institution exhibitions that foregrounded artisan communities and performing ensembles. Early milestones include postwar legislation in Japan and postcolonial cultural revival in South Korea which referenced programs developed during the Taishō and Shōwa periods and later reforms influenced by international meetings such as sessions of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Paris. Other catalytic events include state patronage initiatives associated with the Meiji Restoration aftermath, regional festivals like Gion Matsuri, and international exchanges involving figures such as Laurence Olivier, Béla Bartók, Zora Neale Hurston, and institutions like the Royal Opera House, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Festival d'Avignon.

National Programs by Country

Several countries operate named programs administered by ministries, foundations, and councils. In Japan the system administered through agencies such as the Agency for Cultural Affairs (Japan) identifies holders connected to forms like Noh, Bunraku, and traditional crafts linked to prefectural museums and towns such as Kyoto. South Korea maintains listings under the Important Intangible Cultural Properties of Korea with ties to institutions like Gyeongbokgung events and scholars from Seoul National University. European models appear in France through the Ministry of Culture (France) and regional conservatoires, in the United Kingdom via programs linked to the Arts Council England and the British Library, and in Spain with autonomous community registries associated with festivals like La Tomatina and heritage sites such as Santiago de Compostela. In the Americas, examples include safeguards hosted by the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia in Mexico, initiatives connected to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in the United States, and provincial recognitions in Canada via the Heritage Canada Foundation. Other models appear in Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, India, Nepal, Thailand, Turkey, and Australia, often coordinated with museums like the Victoria and Albert Museum or research centers such as the Institute of Ethnology.

Roles and Recognition

Honorees receive roles including masters, instructors, and advisors to named museums, conservatories, and festivals; they may be invited to perform at venues such as the Sydney Opera House, the La Scala, and the Carnegie Hall or to consult with organizations like the International Council on Monuments and Sites and ICOMOS. Recognition can include stipends, exhibition placements at institutions like the British Museum or Louvre Museum, and awards from bodies such as the Order of Cultural Merit (France), the Order of Culture (Japan), and national honours like the Order of Canada or Presidential Medal of Freedom. Honorees often participate in programs with universities including Harvard University, Kyoto University, and Seoul National University to document practices in archives such as the Library of Congress and the National Diet Library (Japan).

Preservation and Transmission Practices

Programs support intergenerational transmission through apprenticeships, masterclasses, and residency schemes hosted at institutions like the Smithsonian Institution, the Getty Research Institute, and municipal cultural centers such as the Tokyo National Museum and provincial museums in Mexico City and Seoul. Documentation practices employ audiovisual archives coordinated with organizations including UNESCO, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, and university presses at Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. Fieldwork often involves named communities tied to sites such as Kyoto, Gyeongju, Cusco, and Varanasi, and engages artisans connected to crafts like ceramics, textile weaving, luthierry, and theatrical forms exemplified by Kabuki and Kathakali.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critiques arise from scholars affiliated with institutions such as Harvard University, SOAS University of London, and the University of Tokyo who question top‑down selection, commodification at festivals like the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and the effects of tourism at sites like Kyoto and Angkor Wat. Debates involve legal scholars citing instruments such as the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and commentators from media outlets tied to The New York Times, Le Monde, and The Guardian over issues of representation, equity, and intellectual property claims involving museums like the British Museum and producers associated with brands registered at offices such as the World Intellectual Property Organization. Controversies also reflect tensions between municipal authorities in places like Tokyo and Seoul and grassroots organizations, and legal disputes adjudicated in courts linked to national judiciaries and regional human rights bodies.

Category:Cultural heritage