Saudi Arabia · Fine-Art-Adjacent Workshop Craft
Al-Qatt al-Asiri ('the Asiri line/pattern,' the wall-painting art form)
The painting of bold geometric and floral murals directly onto interior walls by women of the Asir region, southwestern Saudi Arabia, inscribed by UNESCO in 2017 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Documented as over two hundred years old, al-Qatt al-Asiri is applied to a base of white gypsum, with geometric patterns representing women, local culture, and beliefs added manually and gradually, worked directly by hand along the length of interior walls in guest rooms, hallways, and other permanent fixed surfaces. Traditionally painted using primary colors, the craft historically served to beautify and protect homes while symbolizing hospitality and warmth to visitors -- guest rooms and entrances being the specific traditional focus of decoration. The art form has since evolved beyond its original wall-mural application to include window frames, doors, canvas, and homeware items, and, while historically an exclusively female tradition, has documented a growing number of contemporary male practitioners. Al-Qatt shares a documented historical and cultural connection with the archive's separately documented al-Sadu weaving tradition (CRAFT-2673), both practiced by Saudi women since ancient times and both recognized by UNESCO as central expressions of Saudi cultural heritage.
Risk level: Vulnerable · Inscribed 2017 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
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