Nov 30, 2006 2:31 AM

Oral, Intangible, Unspeakably Precious

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masterpieces_of_the_Oral_and_Intangible_Heritage_of_Humanity

The "oral and intangible masterpieces" of the human race. Okay, I'm quite the fanboy for obscure and exotic ins and outs of global popular culture, but this list is mind-boggling. What's more, I can't say I've ever previously heard, or even heard ABOUT, a single one of these "masterpieces." Lithuanian cross-crafting? 19th-century Sicilian puppet theater? The Andean Cosmovision of the Bolivian Kallawaya? I've heard some central African pygmy music, but UNESCO here is trying to valorize a *particularly obscure and recherche* form of African pygmy music.

*Where's the oral and intangible DVD? Oh wait. Here it is.

http://www.unesco.org/culture/intangible-heritage/masterpiece.php?lg=en

Nice to see that the good ol' USA is, thus far, entirely intangible-masterpiece-free.

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