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# Understanding of Asian culture

The ACC organized Asia Culture and Arts Education Programs throughout the second half of the year to promote a broader and deeper understanding of Asian culture. These programs suited the center’s capabilities as an integrated Asian arts and culture institute. They were divided into two parts: “Hands-on Activities on Asian Culture and Arts” and “Asia Special Classes.” The latter was designed to offer an opportunity to experience a specific Asian culture by capitalizing on the ACC’s internal resources or working with Asian cultural organizations in Korea. For the second half of this year, two special one-day classes were held, including Turkish Handicraft Making at ACC and Engraving Asia.

# Colorful mosaic lamps, a token of Turkish culture and arts

Jointly organized with the Turkish Cultural Center - Busan Branch for the first time, Turkish Handicraft Making at ACC included four one-day hands-on classes spanning from September 21 to December 14. I visited the Cultural Education Building on November 23 to attend one of the classes.

A total of 18 booked participants were sitting in groups. The class began with a brief introduction to Türkiye and its handicraft culture, followed by an activity to make a mosaic lamp.

Türkiye is a transcontinental country located in between Western Asia and Southeast Europe. It literally means the land of the Turks, and the country changed its official name from Turkey to Türkiye early this year. Istanbul was the capital of the Ottoman Empire, but later Ankara replaced it as the capital of the Republic of Turkey. Home to a population of 850 million, the country comprises seven regions (bölge) which further break down to 81 provinces (il). It sent the fourth-largest number of troops to join the UN forces during the Korean War. It was among Korea’s top priority countries to establish diplomatic relations with, and the two sides have maintained close ties since 1958.

In Korea, Türkiye is viewed as part of Asia, but in some parts of the world, it is considered as a European country, partly due to the long Ottoman grip on Eastern Europe, including the Balkans and Crimea. The country is where East meets West in terms of both geography and culture. Türkiye is well-known for its mosaic crafts. Mosaics dating back to as early as the Roman period were uncovered in the southern and southeastern parts of the country.

The instructor Aykut Gulum from the Istanbul Cultural Center cited dome ceilings as another key feature in Turkish culture. He explained the Turks have long used round-shaped lamps with a mosaic glass shade. The class was invited to make a straight lamp. Participants selected a geometric pattern of their choice and used colorful stained glass tiles and beads to decorate the lamp. Once the pieces were glued and dried, plaster was applied to fill the spaces between them. The instructor said the center would insert a bulb into the lamp and ship them to participants later.

At the end of the class, participants had a chance to enjoy black tea with muhallebi, a Turkish pudding sprinkled with shredded coconut on top. Made of milk, rice powder and sugar, the traditional dessert is served cold.

# The art of seal engraving

Another one-day activity program Engraving Asia comprised of five classes held from October 14 to December 2. I joined one of the sessions on November 25 again at the Cultural Education Center. Unlike the lamp making class which was largely attended by groups of friends, there were many family participants in this class.

The program was led by Kwon Dong-yeon who majored in art history and has taught in a number of education programs organized by the National Museum of Korea. She gave an overview on the development of alphabets in ancient Asian civilizations, as well as the key features of traditional seals before the stamp making process.

A seal is a stamp with engraved or carved letters or shapes. It is an ancient tool dating back as far as 4,000 BC.

A Korean seal is divided into three parts – innyu, inshin, and inmyeon. Innyu is the handle of the stamp often decorated with the shape of a dragon, tiger, turtle, or lion. In the old days, people had to use a specific shape of innyu depending on their social class. On the body part, or inshin, the name of a carver usually appears. Inmyeon is a flat surface, circular or rectangular, to be carved or engraved.

In the past, seals were primarily made of wood, stone, animal horns, ivory, and precious metal. Nowadays, plastic and rubber stamps have become commonplace. The history of stamps in the Korean Peninsula dates back to around 2nd century BC, according to records from the ancient Buyeo Kingdom indicating the use of the Royal seal. In China, bamboo and wooden slips were used for writing documents before paper was invented. Slips were sewn together to create a scroll that could be rolled up, and a stamp was used to seal it.

Artists stamped their works in the corner to claim them as theirs. Stamps are still widely used in Korea. As they represent the user’s intention, stamped documents are legally binding.

The instructor touched upon the history and characteristics of seals used in the Mesopotamian, Indus, and Yellow River civilizations. After listening to the introduction on seals, participants put on gloves to get to work. They first used a device called insang to fixate the seal and traced the mirrored image of letters onto inmyeon for carving.

Some carved their names or nicknames, while others chose to carve out shapes. They helped each other design the letters and ensure that the mirrored image was correct, and discussed creative ways to carve them. They seemed satisfied after stamping the seal with red ink paste to see the finished product.

The ACC’s Asia Special Classes gave participants a rare opportunity to learn and experience Asian culture firsthand. Turkish Handicraft Making at ACC brought them a step closer to Turkish culture, while Engraving Asia offered them a glimpse into the development of seals and seal traditions in ancient civilizations in Asia.