эсгий (Esgii)
Mongolian esgii (эсгий) is the primary structural and insulating material of nomadic life — used for ger wall panels, floor coverings, sleeping mats, saddlery, and winter clothing. The CRAFT Mongolia record documents the sovereign Mongolian tradition distinct from CRAFT-0347 (Inner Mongolia, China) in its specific community context, transmission system, and the body-rolling density calibration technique that is the primary tacit knowledge: the correct felt density for ger wall panels is assessed by rolling the still-damp felt panel into a cylinder and standing on it — correct density: the cylinder holds its shape under body weight without collapsing; insufficient density: the cylinder flattens. This standing test encodes the structural requirement for ger wall insulation directly into the maker's body weight.
Risk level: Endangered · Component of UNESCO Mongolian Ger inscription (2013); esgii naadam (felt-making gathering) separately recognized
The making of the morin khuur — the two-stringed, horse-head-carved bowed fiddle considered Mongolia's national instrument and, since 2003, recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
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