Wooden crafts tracing back to 18th-20th centuries presented

Art & Culture
munkhzul@montsame.gov.mn
2022-01-04 17:16:02

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/. On January 3, a special exhibition presenting the wooden crafts used for religious purposes in the former Dalai Choinkhor van khoshuu of Sain Noyon Khan aimag was opened at the National Museum of Mongolia on the occasion of the 140th birth anniversary of Tsedensonom Gempildorj - a descendent of Chinggis Khaan and Governor of Dalai Choinkhor. The exhibition is being co-organized by the Institute of History and Ethnography of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences and the National Museum of Mongolia.

 

Tracing back to the 18th-20th centuries, about 160 wooden crafts and artifacts that were used by Buddhist monks at monasteries and temples in Dalai Choinkhor van are being presented at the exhibition.

 

The works include carvings of Buddha and deities, wooden printing boards and seals used for Buddhist texts, and items commonly used for rituals as well as a wooden carving of a livestock animal that have been marked, wooden tsatsal (wooden spoon used for offerings) in various shapes and sizes, shunshgiin sav (box for storing valuables), and other cultural heritage artifacts made of wood.


 

In terms of geography, the Dalai Choinkhor van khoshuu was a part of the former Sain Noyon Khan aimag, and covered the territory of certain parts of modern-day Arkhangai, Khuvsgul, and Zavkhan aimags. 

 

As the local craftsmen of Dalai Choinkhor van khoshuu were specialized in the traditional way of processing iron and using steel in their crafts, the exhibition is unique for focusing on wooden crafts and carvings and their corresponding method of craftsmanship. It also gives the opportunity for the public to become acquainted with the culture and tradition of processing wood such as cedar, juniper root, dogwood, and sandalwood, and the way the types of wood were used.


 

The exhibition will be open to the public until January 8.