Mongolian Arts & Music
A look at the traditional arts and music of historic Mongolia.
Traditional Arts of Mongolia
The nomads of Mongolia did not have much time or space for artistic pursuits, but the nation still possess a rich history in art and music. Mongolian arts specialize in music, textiles, and religious painting and sculpture. In the days of the Mongol Empire, imperial courts sponsored talented artists from within their conquered lands. Kublai Khan, for example, commissioned Chinese painters like Zhao Mengfu to paint royal portraits and natural scenes. The Ilkhanids of Persia supported Islamic artists along the same lines. Karakorum, the capital of Mongolia at the time, imported artists from as far as Paris to build and furnish its palaces. The khans also favored court music, drawing from both native and Mongolian styles.
In this way, the arts of Asia, the Middle East, and Europe met and mixed through Mongol influence. Major literary works include the Secret History of the Mongols, older oral histories, and a wide library of Buddhist texts.
Music and Dance of Mongolia
While visual arts played a relatively small role in Mongolian life, music was central to nomadic culture. The most famous native instrument is the horse-headed fiddle, but performers also played lutes, flutes, zithers, drums, and mouth harps. Several musical styles were broadly practiced, while others were limited to certain families. Overtone singing, or throat singing, creates a richer and more complex sound with the human voice than is typically possible. Long singing, on the other hand, stretches a short sentence or phrase into minutes’ worth of song. Singing was typically accompanied by dance, performed for either religious or festive reasons. Modern Mongolian artists may explore these older musical styles, participate in the nation’s pop music scene, or both.
Modern Arts of Mongolia
In response to cultural suppression in the 20th century, the modern art of Mongolia often focuses on its national identity and history. Traditional arts like the crafting of deel clothing and headgear are still passed along family lines, though many designs and techniques have been lost. Other artists have branched into film, photography, the digital arts, and more. A large collection of works by Mongolian artists is now housed at the Mongolian National Modern Art Gallery in Ulaanbaatar.
References
Curtin, Jeremiah. The Mongols: A History. Little, Brown, and Company. 1907.
Jackson, Peter. The Mongols and the West: 1221-1410. Routledge. 2014.
Lane, George. Daily Life in the Mongol Empire. Greenwood Press. 2006.
Rossabi, Morris. Modern Mongolia: From Khans to Commissars to Capitalists. University of California Press. 2005.
“The World Factbook: Mongolia.” Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, 1 May 2018, www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mg.html.
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