Mongolian calligraphy – the tradition of fine writing in the Mongolian language
Although the modern Mongolian language uses Cyrillic script, Mongolian calligraphic texts are still made with the Old Mongolian script.
Despite being one of the most important forms of national art, Mongolian calligraphy is not widely enough spread. Only recently calligraphy has started gaining popularity among a growing number of contemporary Mongolian artists. However, the Mongols themselves and those interested in Mongolian art around the world still have to learn a lot about the nature and significance of the Mongolian calligraphy.
Classic Mongolian calligraphy is represented by 90 letters. According to the tradition, masters select the best students and teach them calligraphy over 5-8 years.
Art historian H. Lhamsuren says: “Mongolian calligraphy is a true example of the flexibility of the Mongol spirit. It symbolizes the natural beauty of our traditional language.”
It’s worth mentioning the “Mongolian Language” compilation containing poetry by the great national poet Byambyn Rinchen, made in the simplistic traditional style, which is a unique exemplification of the very nature of the traditional Mongolian culture. Its rich expressive language, visualized in a formalized stoical form, accumulates all the power of the Mongolian cultural heritage. Quoting Rinchen, “Like music for the ears, our language is the wisdom of our culture.”
Similar to calligraphy traditions of other East Asian countries (for example, Chinese and Korean) the main instrument for the Mongolian calligraphy is the paintbrush.
As the result of the 8th Annual Session of the World Heritage Committee that was held in Baku from December 2 to 7, 2013, Mongolian calligraphy was listed in UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.
Incidentally, various Mongolian scripts used for writing down the Mongolian language have different derivations and time of origin.
Since the 13th century, Mongolian tribes have devised over 10 writing systems. Some of them were later used for other languages.
The oldest purely Mongolian writing is the Old Mongolian (classic Mongolian) writing.
Mongolian calligraphy – the tradition of fine writing in the Mongolian languageSource: asiarussia.ru
