China · Musical Instrument Making / Lutherie
دۇتار (Dutar) — Uyghur; 都塔尔 (Dūtǎěr) — Chinese
The Uyghur dutar is a long-necked, two-string plucked lute central to the Uyghur musical tradition of Xinjiang — and its making is a distinct craft tradition combining gourd or mulberry wood bowl carving, neck shaping and fretting, and skin or membrane application. The dutar is integral to the Twelve Muqam — the UNESCO-inscribed musical epic of the Uyghur people. The making craft requires knowledge of acoustic properties of specific wood species, the geometry of the resonating bowl, and the calibration of neck angle to produce the instrument's characteristic warm, resonant tone. Master luthiers can identify wood suitability by tapping and listening — the procedural knowledge of acoustic assessment is entirely tacit and oral.
Risk level: Critically Endangered · Linked to Uyghur Muqam — UNESCO Representative List (2008); instrument making separately on China National ICH List
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